Serikornis

Seh-rik-or-niss.
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Lilah Turner

Evolutionary Biologist

Lilah Turner investigates how prehistoric animals adapted to changing environments, offering insights into evolution's mechanisms.

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Name

Serikornis ‭(‬Silk bird‭)‬.

Phonetic

Seh-rik-or-niss.

Named By

U.‭ ‬Lef�vre,‭ ‬A.‭ ‬Cau,‭ ‬A.‭ ‬Cincotta,‭ ‬D.-Y.‭ ‬Hu,‭ ‬A.‭ ‬Chinsamy,‭ ‬F.‭ ‬Escuilli�‭ & ‬P.‭ ‬Godefroit‭ ‬-‭ ‬2017.

Classification

Chordata,‭ ‬Reptilia,‭ ‬Dinosauria,‭ ‬Saurischia,‭ ‬Theropoda,‭ ‬Anchiornithidae.

Diet

Insectivore‭?

Species

S.‭ ‬sungei‭

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.

In Depth

       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.‭ ‬Lef�vre,‭ ‬A.‭ ‬Cau,‭ ‬A.‭ ‬Cincotta,‭ ‬D.-Y.‭ ‬Hu,‭ ‬A.‭ ‬Chinsamy,‭ ‬F.‭ ‬Escuilli�‭ & ‬P.‭ ‬Godefroit‭ ‬-‭ ‬2017.

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