Brevidentavis
Temporal range: Early Cretaceous,
Aptian (~125–113 Ma)
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Clade: Dinosauria
Clade: Saurischia
Clade: Theropoda
Clade: Avialae
Clade: Euornithes
Clade: Ornithuromorpha
Genus: †Brevidentavis
O' Connor et al., 2021
Species:
†B. zhangi
Binomial name
†Brevidentavis zhangi
O'Connor et al., 2021

Brevidentavis (meaning "short-toothed bird") is a genus of ornithuromorph bird from the Early Cretaceous (Aptian) Xiagou Formation of Gansu Province, China. The genus contains a single species, Brevidentavis zhangi, known from a specimen including a partial skull and cervical vertebrae. The Brevidentavis holotype shows unusually blunt teeth in its lower jaw, which the describing authors suggest may indicate a specialized diet. Its dentition shows similarities with those of hesperornitheans, and indeed it may be an early member of that group.[1]

Naming

The generic name, "Brevidentavis," combines the Latin “brevis,” meaning “short,” “dent,” meaning “tooth,” and “avis,” meaning “bird.” The specific name, "zhangi," honors Zhang Xing, who was involved in the expedition where the holotype fossil was discovered. Its description also uses the name Brachydontornis, which means the same except the roots are in Greek.[1]

References

  1. 1 2 O' Connor JK, Stidham TA, Harris JD, Lamanna MC, Bailleul AM, Hu H, Wang M, You H (2021). "Avian skulls represent a diverse ornithuromorph fauna from the Lower Cretaceous Xiagou Formation, Gansu Province, China". Journal of Systematics and Evolution. 60 (5): 1172–1198. doi:10.1111/jse.12823. S2CID 245586113.


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