Palintropus

Palintropus lived during the Late Cretaceous, about 76.5 to 66 million years ago.1

Only a few bones of Palintropus have been found, including a coracoid (a shoulder bone) and a scapula (a shoulder blade).1

Scientists disagree about what kind of bird Palintropus was. Some think it was an early relative of chickens and turkeys (galliforms), while others think it was related to shorebirds like gulls and auks.1

The first Palintropus fossil was originally named Cimolopteryx retusa by Othniel Charles Marsh in 1892.1

Palintropus was given its current name by Pierce Brodkorb in 1970.1

One study in 2009 suggested Palintropus was a primitive bird related to Apsaravis, and placed it in a new group called Palintropiformes.1