Avipes

bird foot

• avis · Latin · bird
• pes · Latin · foot

The name Avipes is composed of the Latin words 'avis' (bird) and 'pes' (foot), meaning 'bird foot'. It was chosen because the fossil foot bones were noted to resemble those of a bird in their slender, gracile proportions. This reflects the early observation that some dinosaur trackways and foot bones bore a striking similarity to bird feet. The name highlights the bird-like nature of early theropod dinosaur feet.

Named by

Huene

Year named

1901

Period

Late Triassic

Stage

Carnian

Found in

Erfurt Formation (formerly Lettenkeuper), Thuringia, Germany

Avipes is considered a nomen dubium. It is based on very fragmentary material — only metatarsal (foot) bones — from the Late Triassic of Germany, which is insufficient for confident taxonomic diagnosis. It was originally described by Friedrich von Huene in 1901. Some researchers have suggested it may represent an early theropod dinosaur, but its affinities remain unresolved due to the poor preservation of the holotype.