Dino card No. 0139 of 2,027

Apsaravis

Say it: ap-suh-RAY-vis

Ate: MeatEarly birdsLate Cretaceous

Apsaravis was a small, flying bird that lived in the desert of Mongolia during the time of dinosaurs. It was about the size of a pigeon and could fly well, using its wings to hunt for food on the ground.1 2

Lived

84 to 72 million years ago5

Late Cretaceous

Fossils found in

Ukhaa Tolgod, Omnogov Aimag, Mongolia5 2

Food

Meat5 2

When did it live?

Triassic

Jurassic

Cretaceous

252 million years ago20114566, the asteroid

cool stuff

Fun facts

Apsaravis is one of the best-preserved fossil birds from the Mesozoic Era, with a nearly complete skeleton found.1

It lived about 83 to 72 million years ago, during the Campanian stage of the Late Cretaceous.5

The only known fossil of Apsaravis was discovered in the Djadokhta Formation of Mongolia, a famous area for dinosaur fossils.5 1

Apsaravis had a strong tubercle on its upper arm bone, which may have helped with powerful wing muscles for flight.2

This bird is important because it helps scientists understand how modern birds evolved from their dinosaur ancestors.1

Apsaravis is the only avialan (bird-like dinosaur) found at Ukhaa Tolgod besides the controversial alvarezsaurids.1

AI-made picture of Apsaravis — An AI-made picture of how Apsaravis might have looked, made by a computer from what scientists know. It is a guess: the real animal may have looked different, and nobody knows its true colours.

you asked

Most asked questions about Apsaravis

?Was Apsaravis a dinosaur?

Yes, Apsaravis was a dinosaur. It belongs to the group Avialae, which includes all birds.3 1

?How big was Apsaravis?

Apsaravis was about the size of a pigeon. Its nearly complete skeleton shows it was a small, flying bird.3 4

?What did Apsaravis eat?

Scientists think Apsaravis used its wings to hunt for food on the ground, but its exact diet is not known.3

?Could Apsaravis fly?

Yes, Apsaravis could fly well. It had a special bony projection on its hand that helped automate wing extension, a key feature for modern bird flight.3 1

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For dino experts

Scientific name: Apsaravis
Named by: Norell and Clarke 20015
Group: Early birds
Family / clade: Ornithuromorpha5
Classification: Theropoda > Avialae5
Age of the rocks: 84 to 72 million years (Campanian)5
Rock formations: Djadokhta5
Countries: Mongolia5
Fossil records: 1 in the Paleobiology Database5
Discovery: Apsaravis was named by Mark Norell and Julia Clarke in 2001, based on a nearly complete skeleton found at Ukhaa Tolgod in Mongolia.5 1
Still debated: Scientists are still debating exactly where Apsaravis fits on the bird family tree, especially whether it is more closely related to modern birds or to ancient diving birds like Hesperornis.1 2

Where the facts come from

Fossil that fills a critical gap in avian evolution | Nature (nature.com)
The morphology and phylogenetic position of Apsaravis ukhaana from the late Cretaceous of Mongolia. American Museum novitates ; no. 3387 (digitallibrary.amnh.org)
Apsaravis (en.wikipedia.org)
The Morphology and Phylogenetic Position of Apsaravis ukhaana from the Late Cretaceous of Mongolia (digitallibrary.amnh.org)
Apsaravis in The Paleobiology Database (CC BY 4.0): age, places, rock formations, classification.

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