List of Fossil Birds - Basal Ornithurae (extinct)

Basal Ornithurae (extinct)

Also called "basal Ornithuromorpha". Essentially modern birds, except many still possess a few primitive features such as teeth or wing claws. These have the plowshare-shaped pygostyle and proper tail fan as seen in most living birds. The taxonomy of this group is confusing; the name "Ornithurae" was first proposed by Ernst Haeckel in 1866 and has been revised in meaning several times since. On the other hand, the Ornithuromorpha may be a junior synonym of Ornithothoraces (or even Pygostylia).

• Unresolved and basal forms
  • Archaeorhynchus (Early Cretaceous) – basal?
  • Gansus (Early Cretaceous) – basal
  • Schizooura (Early Cretaceous) – basal
  • Jianchangornis (Late Cretaceous of China) – yanornithiform?
  • Hollanda (Late Cretaceous of Mongolia)
  • Limenavis (Late Cretaceous) – neornithine (paleognath)?
  • "cf. Parahesperornis" (Late Cretaceous of Mongolia) – hesperornithiform?
  • Ornithurae gen. et sp. indet. FRDC-05-CM-021 (Xiagou Early Cretaceous of Changma, China)
  • Ornithurae gen. et sp. indet. RBCM.EH2005.003.0001 (Northumberland Late Cretaceous of Hornby Island, Canada)
  • Ornithurae gen. et sp. indet. TMP 98.68.145 (Dinosur Park Late Cretaceous of Iddesleigh, Canada) – hesperornithiform?
  • Carinatae gen. et sp. indet. NHMM/RD 271 (Maastricht Late Cretaceous, CBR-Romontbos Quarry, Belgium) – ichthyornithine?
• Ambiortidae – Apsaraviformes (which would then become Ambiortiformes)?
  • Ambiortus (Early Cretaceous)