A field guide to mesozoic birds and other winged dinosaurs

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Eoenantiornithiformes “Dawn enantiorns” were relatively primitive opposite birds that may form a natural group including the short-snouted eoenantiornithids and the long-snouted longipterygids, “long-wings”, one of the earliest known specialized groups of enantiornitheans. All seem to have been well adapted to perching, but somewhat paradoxically, many were primarily fishers and probers. Many likely inhabited Kingfisher-like niches, perching above lakes and rivers and swooping down to the surface to grab fish. Buhler’s Dawn Enantiorn Eoenantiornis buhleri Time: 124.6 Ma ago Location: Liaoning, China Habitat: Lower Yixian Formation. Temperate conifer and ginkgo forest set among a series of lakes fed by streams and runoff from a nearby range of active volcanic mountains. Size: WS 25cm (10in); BL 10cm (4in); TL 11cm (4.3in) Features: Head broad w/ short, deep snout, feathered to near the tip. Teeth larger in the front of the jaws. Wings short (distal primary 6.6cm; distal secondary ~6cm). Primaries anchored to a short hand fused at the base, rendering the alular digit unusually long relative to the rest of the hand. First two fingers bear large claws but the third finger is reduced & partially fused to the second. Feet small w/ reversed hallux. Tail short & rounded w/ no evidence of rectrices. Biology: Like Protopteryx, capable of powered flight coupled with several key primitive features (large alular digit, lack of aerodynamic rectrices) that would have made flight clumsy & landings imprecise. The retention of large wing claws suggests that they may have landed by clinging to large branches or tree trunks & then climbing to a perch, rather than alighting directly onto small branches. Guo’s Bohai Bird Bohaiornis guoi Time: 124.6 Ma ago Location: Liaoning, China Habitat: Lower Yixian Formation (see above) Size: WS 45cm (1.5ft); BL 20cm (8in); TL 36cm (1.2ft) Features: Head broad w/ short, deep snout. Teeth larger in the front of the jaws. Wings relatively long. Primary feathers (longest ~12cm) anchored to a robust hand w/ a long, clawed alular digit. Major digit claw reduced in size & minor digit lost. Legs relatively long, about as long as the wing skeleton. Feet broad w/ reversed hallux & large but relatively weakly curved claws. Tail short w/ two short, broad rectrical ribbons. Biology: Very similar to E. buhleri in overall anatomy, they differed primarily in larger size & teeth restricted more towards the tips of their jaws, as well as details of the internal skeletal anatomy. May represent mature form. 126
Above: Relationships of eoenantiornithiformes over time. Phylogeny approximated based on Cau & Arduini 2008 and O’Connor, Gau & Chiappe 2010. 127
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A Field Guide to Mesozoic Birds and
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To my wife Rashida, For always bugg
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Enantiornithiformes................
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Introduction
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up of remains from various reptiles
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enough information about their plum
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Bird Origins & Evolution
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fur-like filaments called pycnofibr
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This same group (Chuniaoae) is wher
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20
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erately long rachides with long bar
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istles, the opposite of filoplumes,
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ers are anchored to a single plough
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using their wings to passively exte
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modern downstroke where the arm mov
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While Mesozoic birds and other anci
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Feathers & Wings Feathers are class
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longest digit is called the major d
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which aids in aerial maneuverabilit
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Hesperornis, the premaxillary nail
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carnivorous. However, many deinonyc
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Feather Color Recent work by Jakob
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Above: Hypothetical restoration of
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48
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Guide to Mesozoic Birds
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like in life based on fossil and ot
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Above: Relationships of basal caena
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Above: Relationships of caenagnatho
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Page 75 and 76: very unusual looking birds.” Even
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Page 79 and 80: Above: Relationships of microraptor
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Page 85 and 86: Above: Relationships of eudromaeosa
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Page 89 and 90: juv. adult 89
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Page 93 and 94: Above: Relationships of unenlagiine
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Page 99 and 100: Above: Relationships of troodontids
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Page 109 and 110: Above: Relationships of avialans ov
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Page 119 and 120: For that reason only well-known spe
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Page 133 and 134: Above: Relationships of cathayornit
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Page 145 and 146: Above: Relationships of euornithean
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Page 155 and 156: Above: Relationships of carinatans
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Page 161 and 162: million years in the Cenozoic. Not
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Page 165 and 166: Above: Relationships of hesperornit
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Page 171 and 172: • “Euronychodon” portucalensi
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Page 175 and 176: Oviraptor ~ Caenagnathus Oviraptori
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Ornithothoraces Chiappe & Calvo 199
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Hesperornithidae Marsh 1872 [Clarke
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Subfamily Oviraptorinae Osborn 1924
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Glossary • Alula: Vaned, pennaceo
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References Benton, M.J. (2004). Ver
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nonychus antirrhopus (Saurischia, T
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Matthew P. Martyniuk is an illustra
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A field guide to mesozoic birds and other winged dinosaurs

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