Longusunguis

Longusunguis had very long claws on its toes, especially the third toe, which was longer than the bone in its foot.12

Its teeth were large, cone-shaped, and slightly curved backward, perfect for grabbing slippery prey.2

The only known fossil of Longusunguis is a complete skeleton with its skull, found in a single slab of rock.1

This bird lived about 120 million years ago during the Early Cretaceous period.1

Longusunguis was a subadult when it died, because some of its bones, like those in its wrist and ankle, were not yet fused together.12

It had a long tail bone called a pygostyle that was even longer than its foot bone.1

Longusunguis belonged to a group of ancient birds called enantiornithes, which had teeth and claws instead of a beak.12