Longipteryx

long wing

• longi- · Latin · long
• pteryx · Greek · wing (or feather)

The name combines the Latin "longus" (long) with the Greek "pteryx" (wing). It literally means "long wing". The type species is Longipteryx chaoyangensis, named after the Chaoyang area of Liaoning, China.

Named by

Zhang et al.

Year named

2001

Period

Early Cretaceous

Stage

Aptian

Found in

Jiufotang Formation, Liaoning Province, China

Longipteryx is an enantiornithine bird, an extinct early branch of birds. Birds are avian dinosaurs, so it counts as a dinosaur in the modern sense. It is known for its long snout with teeth confined to the tip of the jaws. The etymology is the literal Latin and Greek translation. I am less sure of the exact reason the authors chose the name.