Soroavisaurus

"sister"

You 1.8 m (5.9 ft) tall
Soroavisaurus 5 m (16.4 ft) long
as long as 3 people standing fingertip to fingertip
Length
5 m (16.4 ft)
Period
Late Cretaceous (71–69 Mya)
Place
North America · South America · Argentina
Food
Carnivore
Clade
Avisauridae

Soroavisaurus is an extinct genus of enantiornithine birds that lived in South America during the Late Cretaceous period, about 71–69 million years ago. The only known species, Soroavisaurus australis, was named in 1993; the generic name means “sister to Avisaurus” (another enantiornithine believed to be its relative) while the specific name means “southern”. All specimens confidently assigned to this species are fossilised leg bones collected from the Lecho Formation of El Brete, a locality in the province of Salta, Argentina. Some authors have proposed that either Enantiornis or Martinavis, which are known from wing bones found at the same locality, may represent the same animal as Soroavisaurus. However it is difficult to confirm which (if either) of these truly is the same species.

What we know

  • Named by Chiappe, 1993.
  • Fossils found in North America and South America.

What we guess

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