Orienantius
or-ee-en-AN-tee-us /ˌɔːriɛnˈæntiəs/
Accepted genus
probably 'eastern Enantiornis-like (opposite bird)'
The name appears to combine the Latin 'oriens' (east) with a reference to the Enantiornithes, the 'opposite birds', a group of early birds. It would therefore mean something like 'eastern enantiornithine'. This reading is inferred from the name's structure rather than confirmed from the original description.
- Period
- Early Cretaceous
- Found in
- Yixian Formation, Liaoning, China
Orienantius is an enantiornithine bird from the Early Cretaceous of China. Birds are living dinosaurs (avian theropods), so it counts here. I'm unsure of the author, year, exact stage and the etymology details, so I've left those blank or hedged.