Longicrusavis

long-legged bird

• longus · Latin · long
• crus · Latin · leg, shank
• avis · Latin · bird

The name combines Latin words for "long", "leg or shank" and "bird", referring to the bird's proportionally long lower leg bone (tibiotarsus). The type species is Longicrusavis houi, named for the paleontologist Hou Lianhai.

Named by

O'Connor, Gao and Chiappe

Year named

2010

Period

Early Cretaceous

Found in

Yixian Formation, Liaoning Province, China

An early bird (avialan dinosaur), usually classed as an ornithuromorph close to Hongshanornithidae. It is a bird, so it counts as a dinosaur in the modern sense. Details such as the exact formation and age are given with moderate confidence.