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Archaeovolans

Say it: ar-kee-oh-VOH-lanz

Name means: “ancient flier”5

Ate: MeatEarly birdsEarly Cretaceous

Archaeovolans was a small, toothed bird that lived in what is now China. It had feathers and could fly, but it also had teeth, unlike most birds today. It lived near lakes and ate meat.5 1

Lived

121 to 113 million years ago5

Early Cretaceous

Fossils found in

Xiasanjiazi, Liaoning Province, China5 1

Food

Meat5 1

When did it live?

Triassic

Jurassic

Cretaceous

252 million years ago20114566, the asteroid

cool stuff

Fun facts

Archaeovolans lived during the Early Cretaceous period, about 121 to 113 million years ago.1

Its fossils were found in the Jiufotang Formation in China, which was once a lake environment.5 1

The only known fossil of Archaeovolans is a nearly complete skeleton, but it is missing the tail and parts of the pelvis and hindlimbs.2

Some scientists think Archaeovolans might actually be the same as another bird called Yanornis.2

The holotype specimen of Archaeovolans was once part of a fake fossil called Archaeoraptor, which was a mix of different animals.2

Archaeovolans had teeth, which is a feature of many early birds but not modern birds.5

AI-made picture of Archaeovolans — An AI-made picture of how Archaeovolans 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 Archaeovolans

?Was Archaeovolans a dinosaur?

Yes, it was an avian theropod dinosaur, a bird-like dinosaur with feathers and teeth. Some scientists call it a bird, but birds are a type of dinosaur.5 3

?How big was Archaeovolans?

It was about the size of a chicken, roughly 30 to 40 centimetres (12 to 16 inches) long. This is based on its close relative Yanornis.4

?What did Archaeovolans eat?

It ate meat, especially fish. Fossils of its close relative Yanornis show fish bones in the stomach and crop area.4

?Is Archaeovolans the same as Yanornis?

Many scientists think so. Archaeovolans was named from the same fossil that later was identified as part of Yanornis martini, so it is considered a junior synonym.4 5

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For dino experts

Scientific name: Archaeovolans
Named by: Czerkas and Xu 20025
Group: Early birds
Family / clade: Ornithurae5
Classification: Theropoda > Avialae5
Age of the rocks: 121 to 113 million years (Aptian)5
Rock formations: Jiufotang5
Countries: China5
Fossil records: 1 in the Paleobiology Database5
Discovery: Archaeovolans was named by Stephen Czerkas and Xu Xing in 2002. The name means 'ancient flier'. The type specimen is IVPP V12444, a skeleton found at Xiasanjiazi in China.5 1
Still debated: Scientists are not sure if Archaeovolans is a distinct species or if it is the same as Yanornis martini.2

Where the facts come from

PBDB Taxon (paleobiodb.org)
Dinosaur Genera List update #192 (reptilis.net)
Re: Dinosaur Genera List update #192 (dml.reptilis.net)
Yanornis (Wikipedia) (Wikipedia)
Archaeovolans in The Paleobiology Database (CC BY 4.0): age, places, rock formations, classification.

Every fact on this page has a number that points to its source. If we got something wrong, sorry, we are dino fans, not a science journal. Tell us at [email protected] and we will fix it.

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