Chromeornis

Chromeornis is named after the electro-funk band Chromeo. Its full name Chromeornis funkyi honors the band's two musicians, Dave 1 and P-Thugg.1

This bird had a strange mass of stones in its neck. Scientists think these were not gizzard stones but maybe something the bird ate by accident and could not get rid of.31

Chromeornis was very small, weighing only about 33.5 grams. That is lighter than a tennis ball.3

It belonged to a group of ancient birds called enantiornithes. These birds had teeth and claws on their wings.23

The fossil of Chromeornis was found in the Jiufotang Formation in China. This rock layer is about 120 million years old.23

Chromeornis had a long beak that made up about 60% of its skull length. Its teeth were only at the tip of the beak.3

The fossil preserves soft tissues like skin, feathers, and even traces of the eyes. This helps scientists learn what the bird looked like in life.3