Sinornis santensis Sereno, Rao, 1992

Taxonomy

Enantiornithes

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata Haeckel 1874
Class: Aves Linnaeus, 1758
Order: Cathayornithiformes Zhou, Jin & Zhang,1992
Family: Cathayornithidae Zhou, Jin & Zhang,1992
Genus: Sinornis
Species: Sinornis santensis
Author Citation Sereno, Rao, 1992

Geological Time Scale

Eon: Phanerozoic
Era: Mesozoic
Period: Cretaceous
Sub Period: None
Epoch: Early
International Age: Aptian to Albian (early)

Stratigraphy

Jehol Group
Jiufotang Formation

Provenance

Acquired by: Purchase/Trade

Location

Jianchang County
Huludao Town
Liaoning Province
China

• cathayornis
• Enantiornithes
• jehol
• Jianchang
• Jiufotang Formation
• liaoning
• Sinornis

Comments

Taxonomy from Zhou & Zhang, 2007.

Cathayornis yandica was described by Zhou, Jin & Zhang in 1992. The very similar enantiornithes Sinornis santensis was described somewhat earlier by Sereno & Rao. In a publication a decade after it was first named, C. yandica was synonymized under S. santensis by

Sereno et al. (2002), while in the same volume, an argument was made for the validity of the former (C. yandica; Zhou & Hou, 2002). C. yandica is regarded as a junior synonym of S. santensis by some researchers, and as a distinct taxon by others (Jingmai and dyke 2010).
Diagnosis for S. santensis from Zhou, Jin & Zhang, 1992 p. 1365: 'Small-sized bird. Skull bones seldom fused,occipital foramen in posterior-ventral position, teeth present on premaxillae and dentaries. Scapular blades straight and slender, coracoids strutlike. Sternal notches developed, carina low, pelvic bones unfused. Humerus with a low and flat head and a very small pneumatic fossa. External condyle of ulna in a lunate shape. Carpi and metacarpi fused into carpometacarpi. Wings retaining claws. Fibulae weak and separate from tibiae, metatarsi unfused, pedal claws strongly curved and pointed with undeveloped extensor tubercles. Synsacrum including 8 vertebrae, transverse processes of the last two of them expanding and fusing distally. Pygostyle long.'

References:
Sereno, P.C., & C. Rao, 1992. Early evolution of avian flight and perching: new evidence from the Lower Cretaceous of China. Science 55: 845–848.
Zhou Zhonghe, Jin Fang and Zhang Jiangyong (1992). Preliminary report on a Mesozoic bird from Liaoning, China. Chinese Science Bulletin, 37( 16): 1365-1368.
Zhou Zhonghe, Jin Fang and Zhang Jiangyong (1992). Preliminary report on a Mesozoic bird from Liaoning, China. Kexue Tongbao 1992(5):435-437.
Zhou Zhonghe, Lianhai Hou (2002). The Discovery and Study of Mesozoic Fossil Birds in China. In: Luis M. Chiappe, Lawrence M. Witmer (Hrsg.): Mesozoic Birds. Above the Heads of the Dinosaurs. University of California Press, Berkeley, ISBN 0-520-20094-2.
Paul Sereno, Rao Chenggang, Jianjun Li: Sinornis santensis (Aves: Enantiornithes) from the Early Cretaceous of Northeastern China. In: Luis M. Chiappe, Lawrence M. Witmer (Hrsg.): Mesozoic Birds. Above the Heads of the Dinosaurs. University of California Press, Berkeley 2002, ISBN 0-520-20094-2.
O’Connor, Jingmai, & Gareth dyke (2010). A reassessment of Sinornis santensis and Cathayornis yandica (Aves: Enantiornithes). In Proceedings of the VII International Meeting of the Society of Avian Paleontology and Evolution, ed. W.E. Boles and T.H. Worthy. Records of the Australian Museum 62(1): 7–20.