Confuciusornis

Confuciusornis sanctus · Confuciusornis was a crow-sized, toothless-beaked, feathered dinosaur-era bird that lived in China during the Early Cretaceous, 125 to 120 million years ago.

It lived about 125 to 120 million years ago.

Confuciusornis
Photo: PaleoEquii, CC BY-SA 4.0
Confuciusornis
Photo: Etemenanki3, CC BY-SA 4.0
Confuciusornis
Photo: Tommy from Arad, CC BY 2.0

Taxonomy

KingdomAnimalia
PhylumChordata
ClassAves
OrderConfuciusornithiformes
FamilyConfuciusornithidae
GenusConfuciusornis
SpeciesConfuciusornis sanctus

Where its fossils were found

Liaoning and nearby areas of northeastern China.

Fun facts

  • Several hundred complete Confuciusornis fossils have been found, making it one of the most abundant vertebrates in its fossil formation.
  • Many Confuciusornis had a pair of long, ribbon-like tail feathers that grew longer than the rest of its body.
  • Forty Confuciusornis were once found together on about 100 square metres, probably a flock killed at once by volcanic ash, heat or poisonous gas.
  • Confuciusornis had large claws on its forelimbs, and the big claw on its first finger was probably used for climbing.

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Facts and taxonomy adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).