#fhito

By Jack Wood on @thewoodparable

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Name: Zhongjianornis yangi

Name Meaning: Zhongjian Bird

First Described: 2010

Described By: Zhou, Zhang & Li

Classification: Dinosauria, Theropoda, Neotheropoda, Averostra, Tetanurae, Orionides, Avetheropoda, Coelurosauria, Tyrannoraptora, Maniraptoriformes, Maniraptora, Pennaraptora, Paraves, Eumaniraptora, Averaptora, Avialae, Euavialae, Avebrevicauda, Pygostylia, Ornithothoraces, Euornithes

Zhongjianornis is a Euornithine known from the Jiufotang Formation of China, living about 120 million years ago, in the Aptian age of the Early Cretaceous. It completely lacked teeth, and its beak was slender and pointed (note that this isn’t a modern bird beak, but one independently evolved by Zhongjianornis). It had very long and large wings, as well, as well as long legs. It probably was closely related to Schizooura as well, given the presence of a toothless beak in both and similarity of their bodies. They had large claws on their feet and were probably good perches, and could launch from the ground as well in order to fly. Their wings may have made them active soarers in their environment, not flapping their wings often to retain lift. 

Sources:

Martyniuk, M. P. 2012. A Field Guide to Mesozoic Birds and other Winged Dinosaurs. Pan Aves; Vernon, New Jersey.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zhongjianornis

http://www.birdsleuth.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/BirdWingTypes-Handout-Sept2014.pdf