Ichthyornis

E694281

Ichthyornis is an extinct genus of toothed seabird-like avialans from the Late Cretaceous of North America that provides key evidence for the evolutionary transition between non-avian dinosaurs and modern birds.

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Statements (48)

Predicate Object
instanceOf avialan
extinct genus
fossil taxon
toothed bird
beakType toothed beak margins with toothless tip
bodySize similar to modern tern
braincase more similar to modern birds than to non-avian theropods
clade Avialae NERFINISHED
Dinosauria NERFINISHED
class Aves NERFINISHED
diet piscivorous
discoveredBy Othniel Charles Marsh NERFINISHED
extinctionStatus extinct
family Ichthyornithidae NERFINISHED
flightCapability capable of powered flight
fossilPreservation skeletal remains including jaws with teeth
fossilSite Alberta NERFINISHED
Kansas NERFINISHED
Saskatchewan NERFINISHED
Texas NERFINISHED
geographicDistribution North America NERFINISHED
geologicalAge approximately 95 to 83 million years ago
habitat marine environment
hadDinosaurLikeSkullFeatures true
hadModernLikePectoralGirdle true
hadModernLikeWings true
hadTeeth true
kingdom Animalia
limbProportions adapted for strong flight
livedAlongside non-avian dinosaurs
nameEtymology from Greek ichthys (fish) and ornis (bird)
nameMeaning fish bird
order Ichthyornithiformes NERFINISHED
paleoenvironment Western Interior Seaway NERFINISHED
phylum Chordata
resembled modern seabirds
terns
significance important for understanding early bird evolution
key evidence for transition between non-avian dinosaurs and modern birds
sternum keeled sternum
tailType short pygostyle-bearing tail
taxonRank genus
temporalRange Campanian
Cenomanian
Late Cretaceous
toothLocation jaws
typeSpecies Ichthyornis dispar NERFINISHED
yearDescribed 1872

Referenced by (1)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Ornithurae hasMember Ichthyornis