Eoenantiornis

Eoenantiornis Temporal range: Early Cretaceous, 124.6 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N ↓
Holotype specimen, Paleozoological Museum of China
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Clade:	Dinosauria
Clade:	Saurischia
Clade:	Theropoda
Clade:	Avialae
Clade:	†Enantiornithes
Order:	†Eoenantiornithiformes Hou et al., 1999
Family:	†Eoenantiornithidae Hou et al., 1999
Genus:	†Eoenantiornis Hou et al., 1999
Species:	†E. buhleri
Binomial name
†Eoenantiornis buhleri Hou et al., 1999

Eoenantiornis is a genus of enantiornithean birds which lived during the early Cretaceous period (124.6 Ma ago). It is known from a single fossil specimen found in the Yixian Formation in Liaoning province, China.

In 1999, the type species Eoenantiornis buhleri was named and described by , Larry Martin, Zhou Zhonghe and John Alan Feduccia. The generic name combines a Greek ἠώς, èos, "dawn" with Enantiornis, in reference to a presumed more basal position in relation to that genus. The specific name honours the late German paleornithologist .^[1]

Fossil

The holotype, IVPP V11537, was found at Heitizigou in Liaoning in a layer of the lower Yixian Formation dating from the early Aptian. It consists of a nearly complete and articulated skeleton with skull compressed on a plate, preserving most of the feather integument.^[1] It represents a not fully grown individual.^[2]

In 2005, Eoenantiornis was completely redescribed.^[2]

Originally, the species was placed in a "family" Eoenantiornithidae and even an "order" Eoenantiornithiformes.^[1] In 2005, these concepts were abandoned and it was concluded that the position was in the clade Euenantiornithes. It is one of the oldest known derived enantiornithines.^[2]

References[]

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