Jeholornis

Jehol bird

• Jehol · Chinese (place name) · the historical Jehol Province / Jehol Biota region of northeastern China
• ornis · Greek · bird

The name combines "Jehol," the historical Chinese province (now part of Liaoning, Hebei, and Inner Mongolia) whose name is also attached to the famous Early Cretaceous Jehol Biota fossil beds, with the Greek word "ornis," meaning "bird." It was named in reference to the region in northeastern China where its fossils were discovered. The Jehol Biota is world-renowned for its extraordinary preservation of early birds, feathered dinosaurs, and other organisms from the Early Cretaceous.

Named by

Zhou and Zhang

Year named

2002

Period

Early Cretaceous

Stage

Aptian

Found in

Jiufotang Formation, Liaoning Province, China

Jeholornis is a very early bird (Aves), closely related to the origin of birds from non-avian dinosaurs, and is itself classified within Dinosauria (as an avian dinosaur). It is notable for being one of the largest Early Cretaceous birds and for having a long bony tail unlike modern birds, yet showing advanced features closer to modern birds than Archaeopteryx. Fossil specimens often preserve seeds in the gut region, suggesting it was a seed-eater. Several species have been assigned to the genus, though the taxonomy remains under discussion.