| Avebrevicaudans Temporal range: Early Cretaceous–Recent, 131–0 Ma | |
|---|---|
| File:Sapeornis chaoyangensis.JPG | |
| Fossil specimen of Sapeornis chaoyangensis, Hong Kong Science Museum | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Clade: | Euavialae |
| Clade: | Avebrevicauda Paul, 2002 |
| Subgroups | |
Avebrevicauda (meaning "birds with short tails") is a group of stem-birds which includes all avialan species with ten or fewer free vertebrae in the tail. The group was named in 2002 by Gregory S. Paul to distinguish short-tailed birds from their ancestors, such as Archaeopteryx, which had long, reptilian tails.[1]
References
- ^ Paul, G.S. (2002). Dinosaurs of the Air. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. 460 pp.
| This article is part of Project Bird Taxonomy, a All Birds project that aims to write comprehensive articles on every order, family and other taxonomic rank related to birds. |
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