Serikornis
Name:
Serikornis
(Silk bird).
Phonetic: Seh-rik-or-niss.
Named By: U. Lefèvre, A. Cau, A.
Cincotta, D.-Y. Hu, A. Chinsamy, F. Escuillié &
P. Godefroit - 2017.
Classification: Chordata, Reptilia, Dinosauria,
Saurischia, Theropoda, Anchiornithidae.
Species: S. sungei (type).
Diet: Insectivore?
Size: Unavailable.
Known locations: China, Liaoning Province -
Tiaojishan Formation.
Time period: Late Jurassic.
Fossil representation: Single complete specimen
preserved on a slab with feather impressions.
Serikornis
is a genus of small anchiornithid dinosaur that lived in China during
the late Jurassic. The holotype individual of Serikornis
clearly
shows the extent of feathers covering the body of this small dinosaur.
What is surprising though is how much these feathers varied in
relation to different parts of the body. A downy feather covering
seemed to cover everything except extremities such as feet, fingers
and snout. Strongly vaned feathers grew from the arms and legs,
while wisp like bundles grew from the neck. The skeletal structure
and reconstructed build of Serikornis however show
that this dinosaur
was most likely a ground dwelling animal.
Further reading
- A new Jurassic theropod from China documents a transitional step in
the macrostructure of feathers. - The Science of Nature 104:74.
- U. Lefèvre, A. Cau, A. Cincotta, D.-Y. Hu, A.
Chinsamy, F. Escuillié & P. Godefroit - 2017.
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