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Confuciusornithidae
Taxonomy
Confuciusornithidae was named by Hou et al. (1995). It is not extant. It was considered monophyletic by Ji et al. (1999), Chiappe (2002).
It was assigned to Metornithes by Ji et al. (1999); to Ornithurae by Sereno (1999); to Avialae by Padian (2004); to Aves by Wang et al. (2014); to Confuciusornithiformes by Hou (1997), Hou et al. (1999), Livezey and Zusi (2007), Zhang et al. (2008), Zhang et al. (2009), Wang et al. (2019); and to Pygostylia by Chiappe (2002), Zhang et al. (2014), Wang et al. (2014), Wang and Zhou (2018), Wang et al. (2022).
It was assigned to Metornithes by Ji et al. (1999); to Ornithurae by Sereno (1999); to Avialae by Padian (2004); to Aves by Wang et al. (2014); to Confuciusornithiformes by Hou (1997), Hou et al. (1999), Livezey and Zusi (2007), Zhang et al. (2008), Zhang et al. (2009), Wang et al. (2019); and to Pygostylia by Chiappe (2002), Zhang et al. (2014), Wang et al. (2014), Wang and Zhou (2018), Wang et al. (2022).
Subtaxa
Entered
by M. Carrano on 2005-08-24; modified by G. Lloyd on 2026-04-25
Synonyms
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Synonymy list
| Year | Name and author |
|---|---|
| 1995 | Confuciusornithidae Hou et al. |
| 1997 | Confuciusornithidae Hou |
| 1997 | Confuciusornis chuonzhous Hou pp. 33-37 fig. 32 |
| 1999 | Confuciusornithidae Hou et al. p. 679 |
| 1999 | Confuciusornithidae Ji et al. p. 5 |
| 1999 | Confuciusornithidae Sereno p. 2139 fig. 2 |
| 1999 | Confuciusornis chuonzhous Wang et al. p. 2 |
| 1999 | Confuciusornis chuaozhous Wang et al. p. 459 |
| 2002 | Confuciusornithidae Chiappe p. 451 fig. 20.1 |
| 2004 | Confuciusornithidae Padian p. 211 |
| 2007 | Confuciusornithidae Livezey and Zusi p. 89 |
| 2008 | Confuciusornithidae Zhang et al. p. 626 |
| 2009 | Confuciusornithidae Zhang et al. p. 784 |
| 2014 | Confuciusornithidae Wang et al. |
| 2014 | Confuciusornithidae Wang et al. |
| 2014 | Confuciusornithidae Zhang et al. |
| 2018 | Confuciusornithidae Wang and Zhou |
| 2019 | Confuciusornithidae Wang et al. p. 4 |
| 2022 | Confuciusornithidae Wang et al. |
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If no rank is listed, the taxon is considered an unranked clade in modern classifications. Ranks may be repeated or presented in the wrong order because authors working on different parts of the classification may disagree about how to rank taxa.
Fm. †Confuciusornithidae Hou et al. 1995
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G. †Confuciusornis Hou et al. 1995
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†Confuciusornis chuongzhous Hou 1997
†Confuciusornis dui Hou et al. 1999
†Confuciusornis sanctus Hou et al. 1995
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Invalid names: Confuciusornis feducciai Zhang et al. 2009 [synonym], Confuciusornis jianchangensis Li et al. 2010 [synonym], Confuciusornis suniae Hou 1997 [synonym], Jinzhouornis yixianensis Hou et al. 2002 [synonym], Jinzhouornis zhangjiyingia Hou et al. 2002 [synonym]
†Confuciusornis shifan Wang et al. 2022
Invalid names: Jinzhouornis Hou et al. 2002 [synonym]
Invalid names: Confuciusornis chuonzhous Hou 1997 [nomen dubium]
Diagnosis
| Reference | Diagnosis | |
|---|---|---|
| M. Wang et al. 2019 | Upper and lower jaws edentulous and beaked; mandible with large rostral
and small caudal fenestrae that are visible laterally; boomerang-shaped furcula without a hypocleidium; coracoid and scapula fused into a scapulocoracoid; humeral deltopectoral crest triangular with sharp caudodorsal corner; claw of major digit significantly reduced; and claw of hallux smaller than those of other pedal digits. |
Measurements
No measurements are available
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| Source: subo = suborder, o = order | |||||
| References: Benton 1983, Kiessling 2004, Marsh 1875 | |||||
Age range: base of the Barremian to the top of the Early/Lower Aptian or 125.77000 to 119.57000 Ma
Collections (23 total)
| Time interval | Ma | Country or state | Original ID and collection number |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hauterivian - Barremian | China (Hebei) | Eoconfuciusornis zhengi (85261) | |
| Barremian | China (Hebei) | Jibeinia luanhera (156414) | |
| Late/Upper Barremian | China (Nei Mongol) | Confuciusornis sp. (103654) | |
| Late/Upper Barremian - Early/Lower Aptian | China (Hebei) | Jibeinia luanhera (116134) | |
| Late/Upper Barremian - Early/Lower Aptian | China (Liaoning) | Changchengornis hengdaoziensis (79657) Confuciusornis chuonzhous (94819) Confuciusornis dui (24899) Confuciusornis feducciai (92626) Confuciusornis sanctus (85298 224635) Confuciusornis sp. (50467 50468 50469 52888) Confuciusornis sp., Confuciusornis sanctus, Confuciusornis suniae (50470) Jinzhouornis yixianensis (156032) Jinzhouornis zhangjiyingia (79522) | |
| Aptian | China (Liaoning) | Confuciusornis jianchangensis (98449) Confuciusornis shifan (129475) Confuciusornis sp. (55536 79518 79941) Yangavis confucii (135798) |