Kingdom Animalia Scientific name Zhyraornis kashkarovi Rank Genus | Clade Euornithes Phylum Chordata | |
Suborder †Zhyraornithi
Nesov, 1992 Family †Zhyraornithidae
Nesov, 1984 People also search for Lenesornis, Kizylkumavis, Explorornis | ||
Zhyraornis is a genus of prehistoric bird from the late Cretaceous period (middle Turonian, 92 mya). Its fossils have been found in Bissekty Formation deposits near Dzharakuduk in the Kyzyl Kum, Uzbekistan. Two species have been assigned to this genus: Zhyraornis kashkarovi and Zhyraornis logunovi. Both are known only from partial pelvic bones (synsacra).
Classification
The relationships of this bird are unresolved. Paleontologist Lev Nesov originally classified in a distinct family (Zhyraornithidae) and later suborder (Zhyraornithi) within the order Ichthyornithiformes. Kurochkin (1996) considered it to belong to the Enantiornithes, specifically the family Alexornithidae. In 2006, Kurochkin re-classified it as a primitive member of the lineage leading to modern birds, the Ornithuromorpha.