Anchiornis

near bird (close to birds)

• anchi · Greek · near, close to
• ornis · Greek · bird

The name combines the Greek words "anchi" (near or close) and "ornis" (bird). It was chosen because this small feathered dinosaur was very close to the origin of birds, and it showed many bird-like features. The type species is Anchiornis huxleyi, named in honour of Thomas Henry Huxley, who argued for the dinosaur–bird link.

Named by

Xu et al.

Year named

2009

Period

Late Jurassic

Stage

Oxfordian

Found in

Tiaojishan Formation, Liaoning, China

A small, four-winged, feathered paravian theropod (troodontid or close to the origin of birds, depending on the analysis). Fossils preserve feathers with melanosomes, which have been used to reconstruct its colour.