Changchengornis Temporal range: Early Cretaceous,
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Holotype specimen, Geological Museum of China | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Clade: | Dinosauria |
Clade: | Saurischia |
Clade: | Theropoda |
Clade: | Avialae |
Clade: | †Confuciusornithiformes |
Family: | †Confuciusornithidae |
Genus: | †Changchengornis Ji, Chiappe & Ji, 1999 |
Species: | †C. hengdaoziensis
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Binomial name | |
†Changchengornis hengdaoziensis Ji, Chiappe & Ji, 1999
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Changchengornis is an extinct basal pygostylian genus from the Early Cretaceous. Its remains have been found in the People's Republic of China, in Chaomidianzi Formation rocks from around the Barremian-Aptian boundary, deposited 125 million years ago. Changchengornis was a close relative of the better-known Confuciusornis. In 1999 it was assigned to the Confuciusornithidae.
The more pointed bill of Changchengornis might indicate a diet different from that of Confuciusornis. However, of Confuciusornis itself it is contested whether it were a fish eater, an omnivore, or a seed eater.