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| Shuilingornis angelai Wang, Cau, Wang, Kundrát, Zhang, Liu & Chiappe, 2025 |
Abstract
The study of the Cretaceous birds closest to the living euornithine species has mainly focused on the evolutionary patterns leading to the modern group. Yet, the morphological and ecological diversity of the euornithine branches not directly ancestral to the crown-group is probably underestimated. A new euornithine bird, Shuilingornis angelai gen. et sp. nov., is erected based on a nearly complete skeletal material from the Early Cretaceous (Aptian) Jehol Biota in western Liaoning, China. The new taxon is similar to the penecontemporary gansuids, yet it differs in the smaller body size and in the retention of plesiomorphic features widespread among non-gansuid euornithines. The osteohistological analysis indicates that Shuilingornis gen. nov. represents an early adult stage at the time of death. The phylogenetic analysis robustly supports the referral of Shuilingornis gen. nov. to Gansuidae. Except for the controversial Hollanda, the gansuids have been uncovered from four Aptian basins deposited under similar paleoclimatic conditions. Gansuid success in the middle part of the Cretaceous demonstrates that the exploration of semi-aquatic ecologies was a consistent euornithine pattern which preceded the later ornithurine radiation.
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| Photo (A) and line drawing (B) of skull of Shuilingornis angelai gen. et sp. nov (LY2022JZ3002). Abbreviations: an, angular; ar, articula; cv, cervical vertebrae; de, dentary; det, dentary teeth; fr, frontal; ju, jugal; la, lacrimal; ma, maxilla; mat, maxillary teeth; na, nasal; pa, parietal; po, postorbital; prd, predentary; prm, premaxilla; qj, quadjugal; qu, quadrate. Scale bar = 2 cm. |
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| Holotype of Shuilingornis angelai gen. et sp. nov. (LY2022JZ3002). Abbreviations: ca, carpals; ce, cervical vertebrae; fu, furcula; fv, fused vertebrae il, ilium; lfe, left femur; lfi, left fibula; lhu, left humerus; lra, left radius; lsc, left scapula; ltm, left tarsometatarsus; lul, left ulna; mc, metacarpals; md, manual digits; pu, pubis; rco, right coracoid; rfi, right fibula; rti, right tibiotarsus; rtm, right tarsometatarsus; sk, skull; st, sternum; Ⅰ, Ⅱ, Ⅲ, Ⅳ, pedal digit Ⅰ, Ⅱ, Ⅲ, Ⅳ. Scale bar = 2 cm. |
Avialae Gauthier, 1986
Pygostylia Chiappe, 2002
Euornithes Sereno, 1998
Gansuidae Hou and Liu, 1984
Definition (new). The most inclusive clade containing Gansus yumenensis but not Hesperornis regalis, Hongshanornis longicresta, Patagopteryx deferrariisi, Songlingornis linghensis, Vultur gryphus or Yanornis martini.
Included taxa. Based on the result of our phylogenetic analysis, Gansuidae includes the genera Changzuiornis, Gansus, Khinganornis, Iteravis, and Shuilingornis gen. nov. Although supported by the phylogenetic analysis, the placement in this clade of the fragmentary Hollanda from the Upper Cretaceous of Mongolia (Bell et al., 2010) is considered as tentative.
Shuilingornis angelai gen. et sp. nov.
Holotype. LY2022JZ3002, a nearly complete and articulated skeleton preserved in a single slab (Fig. 2) and housed at Shandong Laiyang Cretaceous National Geological Park.
Locality and horizon. Lamadong locality, Jianchang County, Huludao City, Liaoning Province, China; Jiufotang Formation, Lower Cretaceous (Aptian) (Yu et al., 2021).
Diagnosis. Small euornithine bird with the unique combination of characteristics that can be distinguished from other Mesozoic birds: acuminate edentulous premaxilla longer than preantorbital ramus of maxilla; nasal with large subnarial process; procumbent maxillary teeth restricted to rostral end of bone which are much larger than the underlying dentary teeth (autapomorphy); humerus with robust shaft and elongate and gently curved deltopectoral crest; gracile alular digit less than half radius shaft width; large “U-shaped” furcula contacts the triangular apex of sternum; laterodistal end of coracoid does not define a distinct process, describing an acuminate 45° corner; manual phalangeal formula 2-3-2, with first phalanx of minor digit more than four times longer than the second phalanx.
Etymology. The genus name is composed of Chinese “Shuiling” (“pretty and vivid”) and Greek “ornis” (bird). The species name honors the Italian journalist and science writer Piero Angela (1928–2022) for his extraordinary contribution to the popularization of scientific knowledge and the promotion of rational thinking.
Xuri Wang, Andrea Cau, Yinuo Wang, Martin Kundrát, Guili Zhang, Yichuan Liu and Luis M. Chiappe. 2025. A New gansuid bird (Avialae, Euornithes) from the Lower Cretaceous (Aptian) Jiufotang Formation of Jianchang, western Liaoning, China. Cretaceous Research. 106014; In Press. DOI: doi.org/10.1016/j.cretres.2024.106014
