Yungavolucris
Yungavolucris was a small bird that lived about 70 to 66 million years ago, during the time of the dinosaurs. It had very short, wide feet, which made it look different from most other birds of its time.1
When did it live?
How big was it?
How long was it?
How tall was it?
at the hips, estimated
How heavy was it?
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Fun facts
Yungavolucris is known only from a few foot bones, called tarsometatarsals. The most complete one is just over 4 centimeters (1.5 inches) long.1
Its foot bones were very wide, about twice as wide as those of its relatives Lectavis and Soroavisaurus, which lived at the same time and place.1
The outer toe bone (metatarsal IV) was very thin but as long as the middle toe bone, and the middle toe bone was bent outward, which is unusual.1
If its legs were short and wide, Yungavolucris might have been a slow, heavy bird that could not fly, about the size of a large chicken.1
Yungavolucris lived alongside other enantiornithean birds like Lectavis and Soroavisaurus, but it had much stouter feet than them.1
Most asked questions about Yungavolucris
?Was Yungavolucris a dinosaur?
Yes, Yungavolucris was a bird, and birds are a type of dinosaur called avialan dinosaurs. It lived about 70 to 66 million years ago.1
?How big was Yungavolucris?
Nobody knows for sure, but if its legs were short and wide, it might have been about 50 cm long, 25 cm tall at the hip, and weighed about 1.75 kg, about the size of a large chicken.1
?Could Yungavolucris fly?
Maybe not. If its legs were both short and wide, it might have been a heavy, sluggish bird that could not fly, like a large chicken.1
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Myth buster
Myth: Some people think Yungavolucris was a dinosaur, but it was actually a bird.
Truth: Yungavolucris was a type of enantiornithean, which is a group of ancient birds. Birds are related to dinosaurs, but they are not the same as non-avian dinosaurs.1
For dino experts
- Scientific name
- Yungavolucris
- Named by
- Chiappe 19933
- Group
- Early birds
- Family / clade
- Enantiornithes3
- Classification
- Theropoda > Avialae3
- Age of the rocks
- 72 to 66 million years (Maastrichtian)3
- Rock formations
- Lecho3
- Countries
- Argentina3
- Fossil records
- 1 in the Paleobiology Database3
- Discovery
- Yungavolucris was named by Luis M. Chiappe in 1993. The fossils were found in the Lecho Formation in Argentina, at a site called Estancia El Brete.12
- Still debated
- Scientists are not sure how Yungavolucris is related to other enantiornithean birds. Some studies place it close to avisaurids, but others do not, and it might even be the same species as another bird from the same site.1
Where the facts come from
- Yungavolucris (en.wikipedia.org)
- PBDB Taxon (paleobiodb.org)
- Yungavolucris in The Paleobiology Database (CC BY 4.0): age, places, rock formations, classification.
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