List of Fossil Birds - Enantiornithes (extinct)

Enantiornithes (extinct)

"Opposite Birds" due to the arrangement of their scapula/coracoid bones; an extinct Mesozoic sub-class. Together with the Ornithurae (which includes modern birds), they form the Ornithothoraces: birds adapted to flight in the modern way (though the expression of individual traits differs). For example, their shoulder blades are modified to permit raising their wings far above their backs; although as noted above, the shape of the individual shoulder bones differs markedly among ornithothoracine groups, and considering also the different pygostyles of Enantiornithes and Ornithurae, it may well be that the Ornithothoraces are not monophyletic.

• Unresolved and basal forms
  • Abavornis (Late Cretaceous)
  • Bohaiornis (Early Cretaceous)
  • Boluochia (Early Cretaceous) – cathayornithid? gobipterygid? longipterygidae?
  • "Cathayornis" chabuensis (Early Cretaceous) – cathayornithid?
  • Dalingheornis (Early Cretaceous)
  • Dapingfangornis (Early Cretaceous)
  • Eoalulavis (Early Cretaceous)
  • Eoenantiornis (Early Cretaceous)
  • Huoshanornis (Early Cretaceous)
  • Largirostrornis (Early Cretaceous) – cathayornithid?
  • "Liaoxiornis" (Early Cretaceous) – a nomen dubium
  • Longchengornis (Early Cretaceous) – cathayornithid?
  • Pengornis (Early Cretaceous)
  • Qiliania (Early Cretaceous)
  • Xiangornis (Early Cretaceous)
  • Enantiornithes gen. et spp. indet. (Early Cretaceous)
  • Elsornis (Late Cretaceous) – close to Flexomornis?
  • Flexomornis (Late Cretaceous) – close to Elsornis?
  • Kuszholia (Late Cretaceous) – own family?
  • Lectavis (Late Cretaceous)
  • Lenesornis (Late Cretaceous)
  • Gurilynia (Late Cretaceous)
  • Yungavolucris (Late Cretaceous) – avisaurid?
  • Enantiornithes gen. et spp. indet. (Late Cretaceous)

• Alexornithidae (disputed)
  • Alexornis (Late Cretaceous)
  • Kizylkumavis (Late Cretaceous) – tentatively placed here
  • Sazavis (Late Cretaceous) – tentatively placed here

• Alethoalaornithidae (disputed)
  • Alethoalaornis (Early Cretaceous)

• Avisauridae
  • Concornis (Early Cretaceous) – tentatively placed here
  • Cuspirostrisornis (Early Cretaceous) – tentatively placed here
  • Mystiornis (Early Cretaceous)
  • Avisaurus (Late Cretaceous)
  • Bauxitornis (Late Cretaceous)
  • Enantiophoenix (Late Cretaceous)
  • Halimornis (Late Cretaceous)
  • Intiornis (Late Cretaceous)
  • Neuquenornis (Late Cretaceous) – tentatively placed here
  • Soroavisaurus (Late Cretaceous)

• Enantiornithidae (disputed)
  • Enantiornis (Late Cretaceous)

• Gobipterygidae
  • Gobipteryx (Late Cretaceous)
  • Hebeiornis (Early Cretaceous) – may be nomen nudum; if valid, includes Vescornis and possibly "Jibeinia"

• "Cathayornithidae" (disputed)
  • Sinornis/Cathayornis (Early Cretaceous)
  • Eocathayornis (Early Cretaceous)

• Iberomesornithidae (disputed)
  • Iberomesornis (Early Cretaceous)
  • Noguerornis (Early Cretaceous)

• Longipterygidae
  • "Camptodontus" (Early Cretaceous) – a nomen nudum
  • Longipteryx (Early Cretaceous) – tentatively placed here
  • Longirostravis (Early Cretaceous)
  • Rapaxavis (Early Cretaceous)
  • Shanweiniao (Early Cretaceous) – tentatively placed here