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Eoalulavis

Say it: EE-oh-al-yoo-LAY-vis

Name means: “dawn alula bird”1

Ate: MeatEarly birdsEarly Cretaceous

Eoalulavis was a tiny bird that lived about 125 million years ago in what is now Spain. It was one of the earliest birds to have an alula, a special little wing feather that helps birds fly slowly and turn sharply.1

Lived

126 to 121 million years ago2

Early Cretaceous

Fossils found in

Las Hoyas, Cuenca, Spain1 2

Food

Meat1 2

Length

0.17 m1

length of the wing bones only, not the whole body

Wingspan

0.26 m1

Weight

0.045 kg1

When did it live?

Triassic

Jurassic

Cretaceous

252 million years ago20114566, the asteroid

How big was it?

How long was it?

How heavy was it?

as heavy as 0.5 bananas

lighter than a house cat

How big was Eoalulavis compared to YOU?

Just maths in your browser. Nothing is saved or sent anywhere.

cool stuff

Fun facts

Eoalulavis was about the size of a European goldfinch, weighing only about 45 grams (1.6 ounces).1

Its wingspan, including feathers, was only about 26 centimeters (10 inches), similar to a modern kingfisher.1

The name Eoalulavis means 'dawn alula bird' because it is one of the earliest birds known to have an alula, or 'bastard wing'.1

Scientists found the remains of its last meal inside the fossil: concentrated pieces of crustacean shells.1

Eoalulavis had a very thin, spear-shaped breastbone, unlike the wide breastbones of most early birds.1

It likely flew in a bounding style, flapping hard then tucking its wings to dive, like modern songbirds and woodpeckers.1

The fossil was preserved with feathers and soft tissues because it was buried quickly in a lake with special conditions.1

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

?What did Eoalulavis eat?

It ate small crustaceans. Scientists found pieces of crustacean shells in its fossilized belly, its last meal.1

?How big was Eoalulavis?

It was tiny, about the size of a European goldfinch. It weighed about 45 grams and had a wingspan of about 26 centimeters.1

?Could Eoalulavis fly well?

Yes, it was a good flier. It had an alula for slow, sharp turns and likely used bounding flight, flapping hard then diving with wings folded, like modern songbirds.1

?Is Eoalulavis a dinosaur?

Yes, it is a bird, and birds are a type of dinosaur called avialan dinosaurs. It lived about 125 million years ago.1

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For dino experts

Scientific name: Eoalulavis
Named by: Sanz et al. 19962
Group: Early birds
Family / clade: Enantiornithes2
Classification: Theropoda > Avialae2
Age of the rocks: 126 to 121 million years (Barremian)2
Rock formations: La Huérguina2
Countries: Spain2
Fossil records: 1 in the Paleobiology Database2
Discovery: Eoalulavis was named in 1996 by Sanz and colleagues based on a single fossil skeleton found at Las Hoyas in Spain.1 2
Still debated: Scientists are not sure what its hind legs looked like because no leg bones have been found.1

Where the facts come from

Eoalulavis (en.wikipedia.org)
Eoalulavis 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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