20030613

Ji Qiang, Ji Shuan, Zhang Hongbin, You Hailu, Zhang Jianping, Wang Lixia, Yuan Chongxi & Ji Xinxin, 2002. \\\"A New Avialan Bird Jixiangornis orientalis gen. et sp. nov. -- from the Lower Cretaceous of Western Liaoning,\\\" Journal of Nanjing University (Natural Sciences) 38(6): 723-736 [November 2002; in Chinese with English abstract].

Abstract:

A well-preserved specimen of an avialan bird with a complete skull and postcranial bones was found from the lower part of the Yixian Formation (Early Cretaceous) in Sihetun area of Beipiao City, western Liaoning, NE China.

It is characterized by the development of a beak, the large sternum with a weak keel, the typical U-shaped furcula, the forelimbs much longer than the hindlimbs (about 131:100) and the long tail with about 27 caudal vertebrae.

Due to the characters mentioned above, the new avialan bird is surely considered to be capable of flight stronger than Shenzhouraptor and Archaeopteryx. It is described in detail and named as Jixiangornis orientalis gen. et sp. nov. in this paper.

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