Omnivoropteryx

omnivore wing

• omnivore · Latin · one that eats all foods
• pteryx · Greek · wing

The name combines the Latin word 'omnivore' (meaning 'one who eats everything', from 'omnis' = all, 'vorare' = to devour) with the Greek 'pteryx' (wing). It was chosen to reflect the hypothesis that this early bird occupied an omnivorous ecological niche, making it unusual among its contemporaries. The 'pteryx' suffix is a common element in bird and pterosaur genus names, emphasising its winged nature.

Named by

Senter

Year named

2007

Period

Early Cretaceous

Stage

Aptian

Found in

Jiufotang Formation, Liaoning Province, China

Omnivoropteryx is not a true dinosaur in the strict cladistic sense but rather an early (avian) bird — a member of Sapeornithidae. It is, however, a dinosaur in the broad sense (Aves lies within Dinosauria). It is known from a single specimen from the Jiufotang Formation of China. Its dietary reconstruction as an omnivore was based on features of the skull and teeth. Some researchers consider it a synonym of Sapeornis, but this is not universally accepted.