Imparavis

unequal bird / odd bird

• impar · Latin · unequal, uneven, odd
• avis · Latin · bird

The name combines the Latin "impar" (unequal or odd) with "avis" (bird). It is generally understood to allude to the unusual, mismatched combination of features in this small Cretaceous bird. The only known species, Imparavis attenboroughi, honours the naturalist David Attenborough.

Year named

2022

Period

Early Cretaceous

Found in

Jiufotang Formation, Liaoning Province, China (Jehol Biota)

Imparavis is an enantiornithine, an extinct lineage of early birds. Birds are living dinosaurs, so it counts as a dinosaur in the cladistic sense. I am less sure of the authorship, exact year and precise stage, so those are left out or marked tentative. The etymology of "impar" is the standard Latin meaning. The stated reason for choosing it is my best understanding, not a confirmed quote.