Hongshanornithids Temporal range: Early Cretaceous,130.7–120 Ma |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Clade: | Ornithuromorpha |
Family: |
†Hongshanornithidae O'Connor, Gao & Chiappe, 2010 |
Type species | |
†Hongshanornis longicresta Zhou & Zhang, 2005 |
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Genera | |
†Archaeornithura |
†Archaeornithura
†Hongshanornis
†Longicrusavis
†Parahongshanornis
†Tianyuornis
Hongshanornithidae is an extinct group of early ornithuromorph birds from the early Cretaceous period of China. It includes the genera Hongshanornis (the type genus) and Tianyuornis from the Yixian Formation of Inner Mongolia, Longicrusavis from the Yixian Formation of Liaoning Province, Parahongshanornis from the Jiufotang Formation of Liaoning Province, and Archaeornithura, the oldest known member, from the Huajiying Formation of Hebei Province.
Hongshanornithids were small, approximately the size of modern phoebes. Their legs are proportionally long in comparison to the wings, suggesting that they were aquatic wading birds. They most likely lacked beaks and had teeth in their jaws.