Longicrusavis houi

"long shin bird"

You 1.8 m (5.9 ft) tall
Longicrusavis 5 m (16.4 ft) long
as long as 3 people standing fingertip to fingertip
Length
5 m (16.4 ft)
Period
Early Cretaceous (122 Mya)
Place
China
Food
Carnivore
Clade
Hongshanornithidae

Longicrusavis (meaning “long shin bird” in Latin) is an extinct genus of basal ornithuromorph bird found only at Dawangzhangzi village in Liaoning Province, China. Longicrusavis was a ground dwelling carnivore, a wader, and part of biological family Hongshanornithidae, considered to have been a dominant species in the Jehol Biota, the prehistoric Chinese ecosystem which supported them. The name Hongshanornithidae refers to one of China’s oldest recorded cultures in the region, the Hongshan culture.

What we know

  • Named by O'Connor et al., 2010.
  • Fossils found in China.

What we guess

The reconstruction notes for Longicrusavis — soft tissue, color, behavior — haven't been written up yet. Only the recorded basics above are filled in so far.