Gobipteryx Temporal range:
Late Cretaceous,
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Eggs of Gobipteryx minuta | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Clade: | Dinosauria |
Clade: | Saurischia |
Clade: | Theropoda |
Clade: | Avialae |
Clade: | † Enantiornithes |
Family: | † Gobipterygidae |
Genus: | †
Gobipteryx Elżanowski, 1974 |
Species: | †G. minuta
|
Binomial name | |
†Gobipteryx minuta Elżanowski, 1974
| |
Synonyms | |
Gobipteryx (from Gobi [referring to the Gobi Desert where it was first discovered], and Greek pteryx "wing") is a genus of prehistoric bird from the Campanian Age of the Late Cretaceous Period. [1] It is not known to have any direct descendants. [1] Like the rest of the enantiornithes clade, Gobipteryx is thought to have gone extinct near the end of the Cretaceous. [2]
Based on a skull length of 45 millimeters, Gobipteryx has been estimated to be approximately the size of a partridge. [3] Its bones are fibrolamellar. [4]
The skull's general shape is gradually tapering toward the front. [1] Gobipteryx has a toothless beak [1] formed from the fusion of the premaxillae bones. [5] The skull is characterized as being rhynchokinetic [1] with the pterygoid bones articulating with both the vomers [3] [6] and the palatine. [1] [3] The nares are tear shaped and the choana is located below them, more rosteral than in most modern birds. [7] The nares are smaller than the antorbital fenestrae, a basal feature for ornithurae birds. [7] In addition, Gobipteryx's skull has an articulated rostrum. [7] The jaw hinge is associated with the articulation of the quadrate with the pterygoid processes. [1] The articular region of the mandible contains internal and retroarticular processes and has uniform symphysis. [1] This animal has a large, uniform, and sutureless braincase. [1]
The vertebral column consists of at least 19 presacral vertebrae, the last six of these being dorsals. [8] The neural spines of the twelfth and thirteenth vertebrae form the nuchal blade, which represents the point of greatest elevation in the vertebral column. [8]
The scapula contains a prominent glenoid labrum and tapers backward, ending as thin rods. [8] The coracoids are slightly concave anteriorly and are separate from the scapulae dorsally. They also stick out from the neck on either side. [8] Gobipteryx's clavicles curve in a way that is consistent with that of other birds. [8]
The humerus is posteriorly convex (a normal trait for birds) and the head is comma-shaped. [8] Gobipteryx's ulna is about twice as thick as the radius. [8] Metacarpals II and III have been found in embryonic fossils and are observed to be about equal size and are in close contact with each other. [8]
Gobipteryx is believed to have been capable of flight. [4] [8] The scapula is long, and therefore, well suited for flight by having more area for muscle attachment. [8] In addition, the forelimb of Gobipteryx is more than twice the length of the thorax, falling within the acceptable range observed in flying birds. [8]
Gobipteryx, along with other enantiornithes, is thought to have superprecocial development, in which it was capable of flying upon hatching. [4] [8] Evidence for this comes from the fact that the forelimbs and shoulders of advanced embryos are almost completely ossified. [8] In addition, the growth of G. minuta has been shown to slow down immediately following hatching. [4] This suggests that it was highly mobile in its life, since locomotion has been shown to slow the growth of young birds by focusing energy and resources elsewhere. [4] This onset of flight so early in life is not seen in most modern birds, which begin flying when they have reached or are close to full size. [4]
The first specimens were two damaged skulls discovered as part of the 1971 Polish-Mongolian Paleontological Expedition to the Gobi Desert by Dr. Teresa Maryańska, [1] however, at the time, it was not immediately recognized that both of these skulls belonged to Gobipteryx. [3] [6] It was first found in the sandstones of the Lower Nemegt Beds of the Barun Goyot Formation of the Nemegt Basin. [1] The holotype specimen is housed at the Institute of Paleobiology of the Polish Academy of Sciences [8] in Warsaw, Poland and was first described by Dr. Andrzej Elżanowski using a single damaged skull. [1] Initially, Gobipteryx was classified as a member of the clade Palaeognathae on the basis of its jaw and palate. [1] However, in 1981, Dr. Cyril Walker defined the clade enantiornithes [9] and Gobipteryx was reclassified as an enantiornithes bird.
In 1996, Evgeny Kurochkin described a new bird known as Nanantius valifanovi also from the Barun Goyot Formation. [10] However, it was later discovered that N. valifanoi was actually a new misidentified specimen of Gobipteryx minuta. [7] The mistake was, at least in part, due to a misidentification of the maxilla and dentary bones of the skull. [7]
In 1994, an expedition to the Gobi Desert was conducted by the American Museum of Natural History and the Mongolian Academy of Sciences, where a well preserved Gobiptetyx minuta skull was found in the Nemegt Basin. [7] This new specimen provided further evidence for the placement of Gobipteryx into enantiornithes. [7] In addition, it allowed for the reconstruction of the palate, which was poorly understood in Mesozoic birds. [7]
Also during the 1971 Polish-Mongolian Paleontological Expedition to the Gobi Desert, in which the first specimens were found, advanced embryos of Gobipteryx minuta were found. [8] Seven specimens in total were found, including two skeletons in the redbeds of Khermeen Tsav in Mongolia's Gobi Desert. [8] These embryos made up the second confirmed embryonic fossils from before the Quaternary Period as well as the first confirmed postcranial fossils of G. minuta found. [8]
Gobipteryx Temporal range:
Late Cretaceous,
| |
---|---|
Eggs of Gobipteryx minuta | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Clade: | Dinosauria |
Clade: | Saurischia |
Clade: | Theropoda |
Clade: | Avialae |
Clade: | † Enantiornithes |
Family: | † Gobipterygidae |
Genus: | †
Gobipteryx Elżanowski, 1974 |
Species: | †G. minuta
|
Binomial name | |
†Gobipteryx minuta Elżanowski, 1974
| |
Synonyms | |
Gobipteryx (from Gobi [referring to the Gobi Desert where it was first discovered], and Greek pteryx "wing") is a genus of prehistoric bird from the Campanian Age of the Late Cretaceous Period. [1] It is not known to have any direct descendants. [1] Like the rest of the enantiornithes clade, Gobipteryx is thought to have gone extinct near the end of the Cretaceous. [2]
Based on a skull length of 45 millimeters, Gobipteryx has been estimated to be approximately the size of a partridge. [3] Its bones are fibrolamellar. [4]
The skull's general shape is gradually tapering toward the front. [1] Gobipteryx has a toothless beak [1] formed from the fusion of the premaxillae bones. [5] The skull is characterized as being rhynchokinetic [1] with the pterygoid bones articulating with both the vomers [3] [6] and the palatine. [1] [3] The nares are tear shaped and the choana is located below them, more rosteral than in most modern birds. [7] The nares are smaller than the antorbital fenestrae, a basal feature for ornithurae birds. [7] In addition, Gobipteryx's skull has an articulated rostrum. [7] The jaw hinge is associated with the articulation of the quadrate with the pterygoid processes. [1] The articular region of the mandible contains internal and retroarticular processes and has uniform symphysis. [1] This animal has a large, uniform, and sutureless braincase. [1]
The vertebral column consists of at least 19 presacral vertebrae, the last six of these being dorsals. [8] The neural spines of the twelfth and thirteenth vertebrae form the nuchal blade, which represents the point of greatest elevation in the vertebral column. [8]
The scapula contains a prominent glenoid labrum and tapers backward, ending as thin rods. [8] The coracoids are slightly concave anteriorly and are separate from the scapulae dorsally. They also stick out from the neck on either side. [8] Gobipteryx's clavicles curve in a way that is consistent with that of other birds. [8]
The humerus is posteriorly convex (a normal trait for birds) and the head is comma-shaped. [8] Gobipteryx's ulna is about twice as thick as the radius. [8] Metacarpals II and III have been found in embryonic fossils and are observed to be about equal size and are in close contact with each other. [8]
Gobipteryx is believed to have been capable of flight. [4] [8] The scapula is long, and therefore, well suited for flight by having more area for muscle attachment. [8] In addition, the forelimb of Gobipteryx is more than twice the length of the thorax, falling within the acceptable range observed in flying birds. [8]
Gobipteryx, along with other enantiornithes, is thought to have superprecocial development, in which it was capable of flying upon hatching. [4] [8] Evidence for this comes from the fact that the forelimbs and shoulders of advanced embryos are almost completely ossified. [8] In addition, the growth of G. minuta has been shown to slow down immediately following hatching. [4] This suggests that it was highly mobile in its life, since locomotion has been shown to slow the growth of young birds by focusing energy and resources elsewhere. [4] This onset of flight so early in life is not seen in most modern birds, which begin flying when they have reached or are close to full size. [4]
The first specimens were two damaged skulls discovered as part of the 1971 Polish-Mongolian Paleontological Expedition to the Gobi Desert by Dr. Teresa Maryańska, [1] however, at the time, it was not immediately recognized that both of these skulls belonged to Gobipteryx. [3] [6] It was first found in the sandstones of the Lower Nemegt Beds of the Barun Goyot Formation of the Nemegt Basin. [1] The holotype specimen is housed at the Institute of Paleobiology of the Polish Academy of Sciences [8] in Warsaw, Poland and was first described by Dr. Andrzej Elżanowski using a single damaged skull. [1] Initially, Gobipteryx was classified as a member of the clade Palaeognathae on the basis of its jaw and palate. [1] However, in 1981, Dr. Cyril Walker defined the clade enantiornithes [9] and Gobipteryx was reclassified as an enantiornithes bird.
In 1996, Evgeny Kurochkin described a new bird known as Nanantius valifanovi also from the Barun Goyot Formation. [10] However, it was later discovered that N. valifanoi was actually a new misidentified specimen of Gobipteryx minuta. [7] The mistake was, at least in part, due to a misidentification of the maxilla and dentary bones of the skull. [7]
In 1994, an expedition to the Gobi Desert was conducted by the American Museum of Natural History and the Mongolian Academy of Sciences, where a well preserved Gobiptetyx minuta skull was found in the Nemegt Basin. [7] This new specimen provided further evidence for the placement of Gobipteryx into enantiornithes. [7] In addition, it allowed for the reconstruction of the palate, which was poorly understood in Mesozoic birds. [7]
Also during the 1971 Polish-Mongolian Paleontological Expedition to the Gobi Desert, in which the first specimens were found, advanced embryos of Gobipteryx minuta were found. [8] Seven specimens in total were found, including two skeletons in the redbeds of Khermeen Tsav in Mongolia's Gobi Desert. [8] These embryos made up the second confirmed embryonic fossils from before the Quaternary Period as well as the first confirmed postcranial fossils of G. minuta found. [8]