[D] Ichthyornis dispar [~/~]
Describer
Marsh, 1872
Time
Cretaceous Late Coniacian Santonian Campanian
Classification
Saurischia Theropoda Tetanurae Coelurosauria Maniraptora Avialae Ornithothoraces Ornithurae Cartinatae Ichtyornithiformes
Fossilsite
Niobrara Chalk Formation, Kansas ; Moorville Chalk, Alabama ; Austin Chalk, Texas, US
Info
Ichthyornis dispar (Marsh, 1872) [= Colonosaurus mudgei (Marsh, 1872) including Ichthyornis agilis (Marsh, 1873); Graculavus agilis (Marsh, 1873); Ichthyornis anceps (Marsh, 1872); Graculavus anceps (Marsh, 1872); Ichthyornis victor (Marsh, 1876); Ichthyornis validus (Marsh, 1880); Ichthyornis antecessor (Wetmore, 1962); Plegadornis antecessor (Wetmore, 1962); Angelinornis antecessor (Wetmore, 1962)
Skull and postcrania, distal humerus, radius, ulna, carpometacarpi, other postcranial elements
Marsh, O. C. (1872) Notice of a new and remarkable fossil bird. Amer. Jour. Sci. 3 p. 344.
One of the most interesting of recent discoveries in Paleontology is the skeleton of a fossil bird, found, during the past summer, in the upper Cretaceous shale of Kansas, by Prof. B. F. Mudge, who has kindly sent the specimen to me for examination.
The remains indicate an aquatic bird, about as large as a pigeon, and differing widely from all known birds in having biconcave vertebræ. The cervical, dorsal, and caudal vertebræ preserved all show this character, the ends of the centra resembling those in Plesiosaurus. The rest of the skeleton presents no marked deviation from the ordinary avian type.
The wings were large in proportion to the posterior extremities. The humerus is 58.6 mm. in length, and has the radial crest strongly developed. The femur is small, and has the proximal end compressed transversely. The tibia is slender, and 44.5 mm. long. Its distal end is incurved, as in swimming birds, has no supratendinal ridge. This species may be called Ichthyornis dispar.
Marsh, 1872
Time
Cretaceous Late Coniacian Santonian Campanian
Classification
Saurischia Theropoda Tetanurae Coelurosauria Maniraptora Avialae Ornithothoraces Ornithurae Cartinatae Ichtyornithiformes
Fossilsite
Niobrara Chalk Formation, Kansas ; Moorville Chalk, Alabama ; Austin Chalk, Texas, US
Info
Ichthyornis dispar (Marsh, 1872) [= Colonosaurus mudgei (Marsh, 1872) including Ichthyornis agilis (Marsh, 1873); Graculavus agilis (Marsh, 1873); Ichthyornis anceps (Marsh, 1872); Graculavus anceps (Marsh, 1872); Ichthyornis victor (Marsh, 1876); Ichthyornis validus (Marsh, 1880); Ichthyornis antecessor (Wetmore, 1962); Plegadornis antecessor (Wetmore, 1962); Angelinornis antecessor (Wetmore, 1962)
Skull and postcrania, distal humerus, radius, ulna, carpometacarpi, other postcranial elements
Marsh, O. C. (1872) Notice of a new and remarkable fossil bird. Amer. Jour. Sci. 3 p. 344.
One of the most interesting of recent discoveries in Paleontology is the skeleton of a fossil bird, found, during the past summer, in the upper Cretaceous shale of Kansas, by Prof. B. F. Mudge, who has kindly sent the specimen to me for examination.
The remains indicate an aquatic bird, about as large as a pigeon, and differing widely from all known birds in having biconcave vertebræ. The cervical, dorsal, and caudal vertebræ preserved all show this character, the ends of the centra resembling those in Plesiosaurus. The rest of the skeleton presents no marked deviation from the ordinary avian type.
The wings were large in proportion to the posterior extremities. The humerus is 58.6 mm. in length, and has the radial crest strongly developed. The femur is small, and has the proximal end compressed transversely. The tibia is slender, and 44.5 mm. long. Its distal end is incurved, as in swimming birds, has no supratendinal ridge. This species may be called Ichthyornis dispar.