Shenqiornis
shen-CHEE-or-nis /ʃɛnˈtʃiːɔrnɪs/
Accepted genus
marvellous bird
- shenqi · Chinese · magical, marvellous
- ornis · Greek · bird
The name combines the Chinese word "shenqi", meaning "magical" or "marvellous", with the Greek word for "bird". It refers to this small, early enantiornithine bird, which was found in northern China. The only species, S. mengi, honours Meng Qingjin, who was associated with the fossil's discovery and the local museum.
- Named by
- Wang et al.
- Year named
- 2010
- Period
- Early Cretaceous
- Found in
- Qiaotou Formation, Hebei Province, China
An enantiornithine bird, a member of the avian dinosaurs. It is not a non-avian dinosaur. The etymology of "shenqi" and the dedication of the species name are given with moderate confidence.