Jinfengopteryx Compared to Archaeopteryx,with Comments on the Mosaic Evolution of Long-tailed Avialan Birds  

作　　者：JI Shu＇an JI Qiang 

机构地区：[1]Institute of Geology, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, Beijing 100037

出　　处：《Acta Geologica Sinica(English Edition)》2007年第3期337-343,共7页地质学报（英文版）

基　　金：financially supported by the National Basic Research Program of China(973 Project,Grant No.2006CB701405);the China Geological Survey,and the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.40272008).

摘　　要：Jinfengopteryx is a newly uncovered Archaeopteryx-like avialan bird outside Germany, which was found from the Jehol Biota of northern Hebei in northeastern China. It shares many characters only with Archaeopteryx by the possession of three fenestrae in the antorbital cavity, 23 caudal vertebrae and long tail feathers attached to all the caudal vertebrae. But the former differs from the latter in the relatively short and high preorbital region of skull, more and closely packed teeth, much shorter forelimb compared to hindlimb. Such differences indicate Jinfengopteryx is even slightly more primitive than Archaeopteryx, although both birds can be placed at the root position of the avialan tree based on cladistic analysis. Shenzhouraptor is suggested to be slightly more advanced than Jinfengopteryx ＋ Archaeopteryx, supported by some derived features in teeth, shoulder girdles and forelimbs such as the reduction of tooth number, dorsolaterally directed glenoid facet, very long forelimb and comparatively short manus. Meanwhile, the tail of Shenzhouraptor shows more primitive characters than those of Jinfengopteryx and Archaeopteryx, e.g., the strikingly longer tail composed of more caudal vertebrae and the long tail feathers attached only to distal caudal segments. The mixed primitive and advanced characters reveal the evident mosaic evolution among long-tailed avialan birds.Jinfengopteryx is a newly uncovered Archaeopteryx-like avialan bird outside Germany, which was found from the Jehol Biota of northern Hebei in northeastern China. It shares many characters only with Archaeopteryx by the possession of three fenestrae in the antorbital cavity, 23 caudal vertebrae and long tail feathers attached to all the caudal vertebrae. But the former differs from the latter in the relatively short and high preorbital region of skull, more and closely packed teeth, much shorter forelimb compared to hindlimb. Such differences indicate Jinfengopteryx is even slightly more primitive than Archaeopteryx, although both birds can be placed at the root position of the avialan tree based on cladistic analysis. Shenzhouraptor is suggested to be slightly more advanced than Jinfengopteryx ＋ Archaeopteryx, supported by some derived features in teeth, shoulder girdles and forelimbs such as the reduction of tooth number, dorsolaterally directed glenoid facet, very long forelimb and comparatively short manus. Meanwhile, the tail of Shenzhouraptor shows more primitive characters than those of Jinfengopteryx and Archaeopteryx, e.g., the strikingly longer tail composed of more caudal vertebrae and the long tail feathers attached only to distal caudal segments. The mixed primitive and advanced characters reveal the evident mosaic evolution among long-tailed avialan birds.

关 键 词：Jinfengopteryx Archaeopteryx long-tailed avialans mosaic evolution MESOZOIC 

分 类 号：Q915[天文地球—古生物学与地层学] P534.5[生物学—古生物学]