#jibeinia

By José Carlos Cortés on @quetzalcuetzpalin-art​

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Name: Jibeinia luanhera

Name Meaning: Jibei Bird

First Described: 1997

Described By: Hou

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

Jibeinia is an Opposite Bird that has unfortunately been lost, even though it was described from a nearly complete fossil. As such, though we do have a description of it, it’s impossible to do any further studies or examinations of the specimen. It is from the Huajiying of Hebei, China, living about 122 million years ago, in the Aptian age of the Early Cretaceous. It had a wingspan of about 25 centimeters and a total body length of 10 centimeters, so it was a very small dinosaur, about the size of a thrush. It would have probably been capable of flying and perching, and probably thus lived in trees. The complete fossil was also poorly preserved, though it was similar to Vescornis and the two might actually be the same, though it’s hard to prove that without the original fossil of Jibeinia in hand. It may, also, be a juvenile. 

Sources:

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

https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/tetrapod-zoology/obscure-mesozoic-birds-youll-only-know-about-if-youre-a-mesozoic-bird-nerd-jibeinia-luanhera/

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

Me: I really want this to be from the LATE cretaceous.

Also me: BUT I REALLY WANNA DRAW CONFUCIUSORNIS!