Kingdom Animalia Class Aves Phylum Chordata | Clade Ornithurae Species †D. cuhe Rank Genus | |
Similar Jixiangornis, Boluochia, Omnivoropteryx, Changchengornis, Jeholornis |
Dalianraptor (meaning "Dalian thief") is a genus of prehistoric bird that lived in China about 120 million years ago, during the early Cretaceous Period. It is very similar to the contemporary avialian Jeholornis, though it has a longer digit I (thumb-equivalent) and shorter forelimbs, which suggests it may have been flightless. Reaching about 80 centimetres (31 in) in length, it was found in Jiufotang Formation rocks in Liaoning Province.
More recently, it is being suspected that the specimen is a chimera forged for the fossil trade, namely a Jeholornis with the arms exchanged by those of a flightless theropod.
References
Dalianraptor Wikipedia(Text) CC BY-SA