Apatornis
Apatornis was a small, toothed bird that lived in the Late Cretaceous period, about 83.5 million years ago. It was a fast, ground-dwelling hunter that probably chased after small prey. Even though it could fly, it spent much of its time on the ground.12
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Fun facts
Apatornis had at least one more rib attached to its hip vertebrae than its close relative Ichthyornis, and maybe more, because the whole hip bone wasn't preserved.1
Unlike Ichthyornis, Apatornis did not have ossified tendons covering the top of its sacral region, which is a unique feature.1
The only known fossil of Apatornis is a synsacrum, which is the fused vertebrae over the hips, and it was found in the Smoky Hill Chalk of Kansas.1
Apatornis was originally classified as a species of Ichthyornis, but scientists now think it's more closely related to modern birds.1
The type specimen of Apatornis was discovered by Othniel Charles Marsh in October 1872 at Butte Creek in Kansas.1
Apatornis lived during the Coniacian to Santonian stages, about 89.8 to 83.6 million years ago.2
Most asked questions about Apatornis
?How big was Apatornis?
It was very small, about 18 to 20 centimetres long, which is roughly the size of a modern sparrow.1
?What did Apatornis eat?
It was a ground-dwelling carnivore that probably chased after small prey like insects or tiny vertebrates.2
?Could Apatornis fly?
Yes, it could fly, but it spent much of its time on the ground hunting for food.1
?Is Apatornis a dinosaur?
Yes, Apatornis is a genus of ornithuran dinosaurs, specifically a small, toothed bird from the Late Cretaceous.1
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Myth buster
Myth: Apatornis was a close relative of Ichthyornis.
Truth: Scientists used to think so, but in 2004, Julia Clarke showed that Apatornis is actually more closely related to modern birds than to Ichthyornis.1
For dino experts
- Scientific name
- Apatornis
- Named by
- Marsh 18732
- Group
- Early birds
- Family / clade
- Ornithurae2
- Classification
- Theropoda > Avialae2
- Age of the rocks
- 90 to 84 million years (Coniacian / Santonian)2
- Rock formations
- Niobrara2
- Countries
- USA2
- Fossil records
- 1 in the Paleobiology Database2
- Discovery
- Apatornis was named by Othniel Charles Marsh in 1873. He found the first fossil, a synsacrum, in October 1872 at Butte Creek in Kansas, USA.1
- Still debated
- Scientists are still debating whether Apatornis is a valid genus or just a variation of Ichthyornis, because the only fossil is so incomplete.1
Where the facts come from
- Apatornis (en.wikipedia.org)
- Apatornis in The Paleobiology Database (CC BY 4.0): age, places, rock formations, classification.
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