Jinguofortisidae

Jinguofortisids
Temporal range: Early Cretaceous, 135–113 Ma
Type specimen of Jinguofortis perplexus
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Clade: Dinosauria
Clade: Saurischia
Clade: Theropoda
Clade: Avialae
Clade: Pygostylia
Family: Jinguofortisidae
Wang et al., 2018
Genera

Jinguofortisidae is an extinct family of early pygostylian dinosaurs known from the Early Cretaceous. They were found in northern China.

Description

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The Jinguofortisidae are distinguished from other non-ornithothoracine avialans by the following features: the scapula and coracoid fused into a scapulocoracoid; a boomeranged-shaped furcula without a hypocleidium; proximal margin of humerus concave centrally; deltopectoral crest large and not perforated; minor metacarpal markedly bowed caudally; alular digit terminating at the level of the distal end of major metacarpal; and proximal phalanx of the major digit longer than the intermediate phalanx.[2]

Phylogeny

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Wang et al. (2018) erected Jinguofortisidae after finding Chongmingia (previously considered Avebrevicauda incertae sedis by Wang et al. 2016) to be sister to their new taxon Jinguofortis.[2]

In 2023, a third jinguofortisid was described by Li et al. They recovered their new taxon, Cratonavis, as the sister taxon to Chongmingia. The results of their phylogenetic analyses are shown in the cladogram below:[1]

Avialae

References

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  1. ^ a b Li, Z.; Wang, M.; Stidham, T. A.; Zhou, Z. (2023). "Decoupling the skull and skeleton in a Cretaceous bird with unique appendicular morphologies". Nature Ecology & Evolution. 7 (1): 20–31. doi:10.1038/s41559-022-01921-w. PMID 36593291. S2CID 255472056.
  2. ^ a b Wang, Min; Stidham, Thomas A.; Zhou, Zhonghe (2018). "A new clade of basal Early Cretaceous pygostylian birds and developmental plasticity of the avian shoulder girdle". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 115 (42): 10708–10713. Bibcode:2018PNAS..11510708W. doi:10.1073/pnas.1812176115. PMC 6196491. PMID 30249638.