Sulcavis

grooved bird

• sulcus · Latin · groove, furrow
• avis · Latin · bird

The name combines the Latin "sulcus" (groove or furrow) with "avis" (bird). It refers to the grooves (flutes) on the enamel of the teeth, an unusual feature among early birds. Sulcavis is an enantiornithine, a member of an extinct group of toothed birds.

Named by

O'Connor et al.

Year named

2013

Period

Early Cretaceous

Stage

Aptian

Found in

Jiufotang Formation, Liaoning Province, China

Sulcavis is a bird (enantiornithine). Birds are avialan theropod dinosaurs, so it counts as a dinosaur in the modern sense. The type species is Sulcavis geeorum. The stage is given from memory, so treat it as approximate.