Janavis

Janus bird

• Jana- · Latin · from Janus, the Roman god of transitions and beginnings
• avis · Latin · bird

The name combines Janus, the Roman god of transitions and beginnings, with the Latin word for bird, avis. It alludes to this toothed bird living right at the end of the Cretaceous, shortly before the mass extinction, at a time of transition for bird evolution. The only species, Janavis finalidens, has a species name meaning "last tooth".

Named by

Benito et al.

Year named

2022

Period

Late Cretaceous

Stage

Maastrichtian

Found in

Maastricht Formation, near Vroenhoven, Belgium (close to the Dutch border)

A toothed, ornithurine bird related to vegaviids such as Vegavis. Birds are avian dinosaurs, so it counts as a dinosaur in the cladistic sense. It is known from a partial skeleton and is one of the youngest known toothed birds. The etymology above is from memory, so check the original description for the exact wording.