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Baminornis

Say it: BA-mee-NOR-nis

Name means: “Fujian Province bird”1

Ate: MeatEarly birdsLate Jurassic

Baminornis was a tiny, early bird that lived about 150 million years ago in what is now China. It had a short tail with a fused bone called a pygostyle, making it one of the oldest short-tailed birds ever found. This little creature could probably fly better than its older cousin Archaeopteryx.2 1

Lived

152 to 145 million years ago4

Late Jurassic

Fossils found in

Nanyuan Formation, Fujian Province, China1

Food

Meat3

Weight

0.13 kg to 0.3 kg1

When did it live?

Triassic

Jurassic

Cretaceous

252 million years ago20114566, the asteroid

cool stuff

Fun facts

Baminornis had a fused tail bone called a pygostyle, which is a feature of modern birds and was very rare among Jurassic birds.2 1

It lived around 150 million years ago, during the Late Jurassic period, in a swampy environment.1

Baminornis was very small, weighing only about 130 to 300 grams, similar to a modern robin or sparrow.1

Its shoulder bones were not fused together, which may have helped it fly better than Archaeopteryx.1

The fossil of Baminornis was found in the Zhenghe Fauna, a site that also contained turtles, fish, and other early birds.1

Some scientists think the pygostyle of Baminornis might actually be part of its hip bone, not a tail bone, so its tail length is still debated.1

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

?Was Baminornis a dinosaur?

Yes, Baminornis is a type of bird-like dinosaur called an avialan. It is part of the dinosaur group Theropoda.1

?How big was Baminornis?

Baminornis was very small, weighing about 130 to 300 grams. That is similar to a modern robin or sparrow.1

?Did Baminornis have a short tail?

Scientists disagree. The first study said it had a short tail with a fused pygostyle, but later research suggests that bone might be part of the hip, so its tail length is still debated.1

?Could Baminornis fly?

Yes, Baminornis could probably fly better than its older cousin Archaeopteryx. Its shoulder bones were unfused, which may have helped its flight.1

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For dino experts

Scientific name: Baminornis
Named by: Chen et al. 20254
Group: Early birds
Family / clade: Avialae4
Classification: Theropoda > Avialae4
Age of the rocks: 152 to 145 million years (Kimmeridgian / Tithonian)4
Rock formations: Nanyuan4
Countries: China4
Fossil records: 1 in the Paleobiology Database4
Discovery: Baminornis was named in 2025 by Chen and colleagues based on a partial skeleton found near Yangyuan Village in Zhenghe County, Fujian Province, China.1
Still debated: Scientists are not sure whether the short tail of Baminornis evolved just once or multiple times in early birds.1

Where the facts come from

Baminornis (en.wikipedia.org)
Earliest short-tailed bird from the Late Jurassic of China | Nature (nature.com)
PBDB Taxon (paleobiodb.org)
Baminornis 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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