Protopteryx
Protopteryx is an extinct bird and the most basal enantiornithean, from the Cretaceous period. The type species is P. fengningensis. It was first discovered in the Sichakou Member of the Yixian Formation or Huajiying Formation of Hebei Province, northern China, dating from 131 Ma ago. Protopteryx has been found in the Daibeigou formation, as well. The name Protopteryx means "primitive feather": "proto-" meaning "the first of" and "-pteryx" meaning "feather" or "wing." The name comes from the fact that Protopteryx feathers are more primitive than those of modern birds, such as the two elongated tail feathers that lack barbs and rami.
| Protopteryx Temporal range: Early Cretaceous, | |
|---|---|
| Fossil specimen, National Museum of Natural Science | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Clade: | Dinosauria |
| Clade: | Saurischia |
| Clade: | Theropoda |
| Clade: | Avialae |
| Clade: | †Enantiornithes |
| Order: | †Protopterygiformes Zhang & Zhou, 2006 |
| Family: | †Protopterygidae Zhang & Zhou, 2006 |
| Genus: | †Protopteryx Zhang & Zhou, 2000 |
| Species: | †P. fengningensis |
| Binomial name | |
| †Protopteryx fengningensis Zhang & Zhou, 2000 | |
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