Sinornis

  • Jiufotang lineup, Liaoning (China)

Cathayornis or Sinornis is a fossil bird from the group of Enantiornithes. Several discoveries were made as described in the Jiufotang lineup Liaoning in the northeast of the People 's Republic of China. The age of the Jiufotang lineup is specified according to Carl Swisher and Others ( 1999) 120 to 100 million years. The neologism Cathayornis is derived from the ancient English word Cathay as a name for China and the ancient Greek όρνις ( ornis ) for birds.

The issue about the correct naming is still not clarified. Zhou and Hou ( 2001) distinguish Cathayornis of Sinornis based on the following essential characteristics:

  • Cathayornis is greater
  • His first finger is longer and straighter
  • It has no Atitrochanter

You have Cathayornis awarded the style name Cathayornis yandica.

Paul Sereno and others ( 2001), however, see in Cathayornis just a synonym (second description) of Sinornis. For them, the anatomical structure of the two is very similar, as both forms, for example, also have the same central autapomorphy of Pygostyls. You have Sinornis provided with the species name Sinornis santensis.

After Cathayornis the fossil avifauna of the so-called Cathayornis - Chaoyangia - avifauna was named in the Jiufotang lineup. In it, the following bird species are represented:

  • Cathayornis yandica or Sinornis santensis
  • Chaoyangia beishanensis

As well as:

Mya (unit) Jiufotang-Formation Pygostylia Digital Object Identifier
169674
de