Shenqiornis is a genus of enantiornithean dinosaurs.[1] It was found in the Qiaotou Member of the Huajiying Formation of Hebei Province, China, and is therefore of uncertain age. The Qiaotou Member may correlate with the more well-known Early Cretaceous Yixian Formation, and so probably is dated to the Aptian, around 122 million years ago.[2]

Shenqiornis
Temporal range: Early Cretaceous, 122 Ma
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Clade: Dinosauria
Clade: Saurischia
Clade: Theropoda
Clade: Avialae
Clade: Enantiornithes
Family: Bohaiornithidae
Genus: Shenqiornis
Wang et al., 2010
Species:
S. mengi
Binomial name
Shenqiornis mengi
Wang et al., 2010

The type species Shenqiornis mengi was in 2010 named and described by Wang Xuri, Jingmai O'Connor, Zhao Bo, Luis María Chiappe, Gao Chunling and Cheng Xiaodong. The generic name combines a reference to Shenzhou 7 with a Greek ornis, "bird". The specific name honours Meng Qingjin, the former director of the Dalian Natural History Museum. The holotype is DNHM D2950-2951, a plate and counterplate containing a largely complete skeleton of a subaldult.[1]

References edit

  1. ^ a b Wang, X., J. O'Connor, B. Zhao, L.M. Chiappe, C. Gao and X. Cheng. (2010) New species of Enantiornithes (Aves: Ornithothoraces) from the Qiaotou Formation in Northern Hebei, China. Acta Geologica Sinica, 84(2):247-256.
  2. ^ Jin, F., Zhang, F.C., Li, Z.H., Zhang, J.Y., Li, C. and Zhou, Z.H. (2008). "On the horizon of Protopteryx and the early vertebrate fossil assemblages of the Jehol Biota." Chinese Science Bulletin, 53(18): 2820-2827.