List of Fossil Birds - Avians incertae Sedis

Avians incertae Sedis

These fossil taxa cannot be assigned to any major group with reasonable certainty. The "proto-birds" above are of some indeterminate basal position in the entire avian (and paravian) radiation, but known from such diagnostic material that their relationships at the family level are known. In contrast, the taxa here have a hypodigm that is usually just sufficient for giving them a valid scientific name, but not for phylogenetic purposes beyond classing them as pygostylians or more modern birds. Some, however, are known from such fragmentary remains that the possibility that they are non-avian "reptiles" such as dinosaurs cannot be ruled out at present.

  • †Paraprotopteryx (Late Jurassic/Early Cretaceous) – enantiornithine?
  • †Aberratiodontus (Early Cretaceous) – enantiornithine? (own family?) Same as Yanornis?
  • †Dalingheornis (Early Cretaceous) – enantiornithine?
  • †Gallornis (Early -? Late Cretaceous) – neornithine? (neognath?)
  • †Holbotia (Early Cretaceous of Andaikhudag, Mongolia) – basal pygostylian?
  • †"Jibeinia" (Early Cretaceous) – euenantiornithine? A nomen dubium
  • †Nanantius (Early Cretaceous) – enantiornithine?
  • †Otogornis (Yijinhuoluo Early Cretaceous of Yike Zhaomeng, China) – basal pygostylian? enantiornithine (cathayornithid)?
  • †Parahongshanornis (Early Cretaceous) – hongshanornithid? ornithurine?
  • †Protopteryx (Early Cretaceous) – enantiornithine?
  • †Wyleyia (Early Cretaceous) – basal enantiornithine? neornithine (paleognath)?
  • †Zhongornis (Early Cretaceous) – basal avian or juvenile confuciusornithid?
  • †Aves gen. et sp. indet. Sahat Sakhan Dinosaur Research Centre collection, unnumbered (Sao Khua Early Cretaceous of Khok Kong, Thailand) - ornithurine?
  • † Maniraptora gen. et sp. indet. IVPP V11309 (Yixian Early Cretaceous of Jianshangou, China) - basal pygostylian? therizinosaur (close to Beipiaosaurus?)?
  • †Aves? gen. et sp. indet. NMC 50852 (Early/Late Cretaceous of Kem Kem region, Morocco) - avian? dromaeosaurid (close to Rahonavis)?
  • †Alamitornis (Late Cretaceous) – pygostylian (related to Patagopteryx)?
  • †Apatornis (Late Cretaceous) – neornithine (anseriform)?
  • †"Cerebavis" (Late Cretaceous) – enantiornithine? A nomen dubium
  • †"Elopteryx" (Late Cretaceous) – pygostylian? non-avian dinosaur? A nomen dubium
  • †Euornithes gen. et sp. indet. (Bissekty Late Cretaceous of Kyzyl Kum, Uzbekistan)
  • †Gargantuavis (Late Cretaceous) – pygostylian? (enantiornithine?) basal ornithurine?
  • †Hulsanpes (Late Cretaceous) – basal avian? non-avian dinosaur?
  • †Iaceornis (Late Cretaceous) – neornithine or basal ornithurine
  • †Ornithurae gen. et sp. indet. IGM 100/1309 (Nemegt Late Cretaceous of Tsagaan Kushu, Mongolia) – presbyornithid?
  • †Ornithurae gen. et sp. indet. IGM 100/1310 (Nemegt Late Cretaceous of Tsagaan Kushu, Mongolia) – basal?
  • †Horezmavis (Bissekty Late Cretaceous of Kyzyl Kum, Uzbekistan) – enantiornithine (gobipterygiform?), basal ornithurine or gruiform
  • †"Ichthyornis" minusculus (Bissekty Late Cretaceous of Kyzyl Kum, Uzbekistan) – enantiornithine?
  • †cf. Nanantius (Bissekty Late Cretaceous of Kyzyl Kum, Uzbekistan) – enantiornithine?
  • †Neogaeornis (Late Cretaceous) – baptornithid or neornithine (gaviiform, procellariiform?)
  • †Patagopteryx (Late Cretaceous) – pygostylian? (enantiornithine?)
  • †Piksi (Two Medicine Late Cretaceous of Montana) – ornithothoracine (perhaps distinct lineage), basal ornithurine or neornithine?
  • †Platanavis (Bissekty Late Cretaceous of Kyzyl Kum, Uzbekistan)
  • †Potamornis (Late Cretaceous) – hesperornithid? baptornithid? enaliornithid?
  • †Vorona (Late Cretaceous) – enantiornithine? basal ornithuromorph?
  • †UCMP 143274 (Lance Creek Late Cretaceous of Niobrara County, USA) – psittaciform? non-avian?
  • †Polarornis (Late Cretaceous or Eocene) – gaviiform or pygostylian, may be synonym of Neogaeornis
  • †Yandangornis (Late Cretaceous) – basal avian? non-avian dinosaur?
  • †Guildavis (Cretaceous of Wallace County, USA) – neornithine or basal ornithurine
  • †Qinornis (Early/Middle Paleocene) – enantiornithine? neornithine?
  • †"Cathayornis" aberransis
  • †"Cathayornis" caudatus
  • †Gobipipus
  • †"Ichthyornis" maltshevskyi
  • †Chaoyangiidae – pygostylian (ornithurine?), yanornithiform?
    • Chaoyangia (Early Cretaceous)
  • †Hongshanornithidae – pygostylian? ornithurine?
    • Hongshanornis (Early Cretaceous)
    • Longicrusavis (Early Cretaceous)
  • †Zhyraornithidae – enantiornithiform, ornithurine?
    • Zhyraornis (Late Cretaceous)

Read more about this topic:  List Of Fossil Birds