Enantiornithes
E694280
Enantiornithes were a diverse and widespread group of prehistoric toothed birds from the Mesozoic era that represent an early, now-extinct branch of avian evolution.
Statements (52)
| Predicate | Object |
|---|---|
| instanceOf |
Mesozoic avialan
ⓘ
clade ⓘ prehistoric bird group ⓘ |
| class | Aves NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| coexistedWith | early crown-group birds ⓘ |
| diagnosticFeature |
clawed fingers on wings in many species
ⓘ
fusion pattern of tarsometatarsus distinct from modern birds ⓘ opposite articulation of shoulder bones compared to modern birds ⓘ teeth in jaws ⓘ |
| diet |
insectivorous in many species
ⓘ
omnivorous in some species ⓘ piscivorous in some species ⓘ |
| distinctFrom | Neornithes NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| distribution | global ⓘ |
| diversity | high taxonomic diversity ⓘ |
| ecologicalDiversity |
aquatic or semi-aquatic forms
ⓘ
arboreal forms ⓘ terrestrial forms ⓘ |
| extinctionCause | Cretaceous–Paleogene mass extinction NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| extinctionStatus | extinct ⓘ |
| featherType |
elongated tail feathers in some species
ⓘ
pennaceous feathers ⓘ |
| firstAppearance | Early Cretaceous ⓘ |
| flightCapability | capable of powered flight in many species ⓘ |
| fossilRecord |
Africa
NERFINISHED
ⓘ
Antarctica NERFINISHED ⓘ Asia NERFINISHED ⓘ Australia NERFINISHED ⓘ Europe NERFINISHED ⓘ North America NERFINISHED ⓘ South America NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| geologicalEra | Mesozoic NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| higherClassification | Pygostylia NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| kingdom | Animalia ⓘ |
| lastAppearance | Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| namedBy |
C. P. Houde
NERFINISHED
ⓘ
L. D. Martin NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| nameMeaning | opposite birds ⓘ |
| notableGenus |
Confuciusornis (historically associated but not always placed within the clade in modern analyses)
NERFINISHED
ⓘ
Eoalulavis NERFINISHED ⓘ Longipteryx NERFINISHED ⓘ Sinornis NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| phylogeneticPosition | stem group of birds outside crown Aves ⓘ |
| phylum | Chordata ⓘ |
| reproductiveBiology | evidence of precocial chicks in some taxa ⓘ |
| researchSignificance | important for understanding early avian evolution ⓘ |
| tailMorphology | pygostyle present ⓘ |
| taxonRank | clade ⓘ |
| temporalRangeEnd | end of Cretaceous ⓘ |
| temporalRangeStart | Early Cretaceous ⓘ |
| unrankedClade | Avialae NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| yearNamed | 1988 ⓘ |
Referenced by (1)
Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.