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Brevidentavis | |
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Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Clade: | Dinosauria |
Clade: | Saurischia |
Clade: | Theropoda |
Clade: | Avialae |
Clade: | Euornithes |
Clade: | Ornithuromorpha |
Genus: | †Brevidentavis O' Connor et al., 2021 |
Species: | †B. zhangi
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Binomial name | |
†Brevidentavis zhangi O'Connor et al., 2021
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Brevidentavis (meaning "short-toothed bird") is a genus of ornithuromorph dinosaurs from the Early Cretaceous (Aptian) Xiagou Formation of Gansu Province, China. The genus contains a single species, Brevidentavis zhangi, known from a specimen including a partial skull and cervical vertebrae. The Brevidentavis holotype shows unusually blunt teeth in its lower jaw, which the describing authors suggest may indicate a specialized diet. Its dentition shows similarities with those of hesperornitheans, and indeed it may be an early member of that group.[1]