Lagerpeton

By Tas 

Etymology: Rabbit Reptile 

First Described By: Romer, 1971 

Classification: Biota, Archaea, Proteoarchaeota, Asgardarchaeota, Eukaryota, Neokaryota, Scotokaryota Opimoda, Podiata, Amorphea, Obazoa, Opisthokonta, Holozoa, Filozoa, Choanozoa, Animalia, Eumetazoa, Parahoxozoa, Bilateria, Nephrozoa, Deuterostomia, Chordata, Olfactores, Vertebrata, Craniata, Gnathostomata, Eugnathostomata, Osteichthyes, Sarcopterygii, Rhipidistia, Tetrapodomorpha, Eotetrapodiformes, Elpistostegalia, Stegocephalia, Tetrapoda, Reptiliomorpha, Amniota, Sauropsida, Eureptilia, Romeriida, Diapsida, Neodiapsida, Sauria, Archosauromorpha, Crocopoda, Archosauriformes, Eucrocopoda, Crurotarsi, Archosauria, Avemetarsalia, Ornithodira, Dinosauromorpha, Lagerpetidae 

Referred Species: L. chanarensis 

Status: Extinct 

Time and Place: About 235 to 234 million years ago, in the Carnian of the Late Triassic 

Lagerpeton is known from the Chañares Formation in La Rioja, Argentina 

Physical Description: Lagerpeton was named as the Rabbit Reptile, and for good reason – in a lot of ways, it represents a decent attempt by reptiles in trying to do the whole hoppy-hop thing. You might think that it resembles Scleromochlus in that way, and you’d be right! Scleromochlus and Lagerpeton are close cousins, but one is on the line towards Pterosaurs – Scleromochlus – and the other is on the line towards dinosaurs – Lagerpeton. So, hopping around was an early feature that all Ornithodirans (Dinosaurs, Pterosaurs, and those closest to them) shared. Lagerpeton itself was about 70 centimeters in length, with most of that length represented as tail; it was slender and lithe, built for moving quickly through its environment. It had a small head, a long neck, and a thin body. While it had long legs, it also had somewhat long arms, and while it may have been able to walk on all fours it also would have been able to walk on two legs alone. It was digitigrade, walking only on its toes, making it an even faster animal. Its back was angled to help it in hopping and running through its environment, and its small pelvis gave it more force during hip extension while jumping. In addition to all of this, it basically only really rested its weight on two toes – giving it even more hopping ability! As a small early bird-line reptile, it would have been covered in primitive feathers all over its body (protofeathers), though what form they took we do not know. 

By Scott Reid 

Diet: As an early dinosaur relative, it’s more likely than not that Lagerpeton was an omnivore, though this is uncertain as its head and teeth are not known at this time. 

Behavior: Lagerpeton would have been a very skittish animal, being so small in an environment of so many kinds of animals – and as such, that hopping and fast movement ability would have aided it in escaping and moving around its environment, avoiding predators and reaching new sources of food (and, potentially, chasing after smaller food itself). Lagerpeton may have also been somewhat social, moving in small groups, potentially families, to escape the predators and chase after prey together, given its common nature in its environment. As an archosaur, Lagerpeton was more likely than not to take care of its young, though we don’t know how or to what extent. The feathers it had would have been primarily thermoregulatory, and as such, they would have helped it maintain a constant body temperature – making it a very active, lithe animal. 

By José Carlos Cortés 

Ecosystem: Lagerpeton lived in the Chañares environment, a diverse and fascinating environment coming right after the transition from the Middle to Late Triassic epochs. Given that the first true dinosaurs are probably from the start of the Late Triassic, this makes it a hotbed for understanding the environments that the earliest dinosaurs evolved in. Since Lagerpeton is a close dinosaur relative, this helps contextualize its place within its evolutionary history. This environment was a floodplain, filled with lakes that would regularly flood depending on the season. There were many seed ferns, ferns, conifers, and horsetails. Many different animals lived here with Lagerpeton, including other Dinosauromorphs like the Silesaurid Lewisuchus/Pseudolagosuchus and the Dinosauriform Marasuchus/Lagosuchus. There were crocodilian relatives as well, such as the early suchian Gracilisuchus and the Rauisuchid Luperosuchus. There were also quite a few Proterochampsids, such as Tarjadia, Tropidosuchus, Gualosuchus, and Chanaresuchus. Synapsids also put in a good show, with the Dicynodonts Jachaleria and Dinodontosaurus, as well as Cynodonts like Probainognathus and Chiniquodon, and the herbivorous Massetognathus. Luperosuchus would have definitely been a predator Lagerpeton would have wanted to get away from – fast! 

By Ripley Cook 

Other: Lagerpeton is one of our earliest derived Dinosauromorphs, showing some of the earliest distinctions the dinosaur-line had compared to other archosaurs. Lagerpeton was already digitigrade – an important feature of Dinosaurs – as shown by its tracks, called Prorotodactylus. These tracks also showcase that dinosaur relatives were around as early as the Early Triassic – and that their evolution, and the rapid diversification of archosauromorphs in general, was a direct result of the end-Permian extinction. 

~ By Meig Dickson

Sources Under the Cut  

Nemegtonykus citus

By Ripley Cook

Etymology: Nemget Claw 

First Described By: Lee et al., 2019 

Classification: Dinosauromorpha, Dinosauriformes, Dracohors, Dinosauria, Saurischia, Eusaurischia, Theropoda, Neotheropoda, Averostra, Tetanurae, Orionides, Avetheropoda, Coelurosauria, Tyrannoraptora, Maniraptoromorpha, Maniraptoriformes, Maniraptora, Alvarezsauria, Alvarezsauroidea, Alvarezsauridae, Parvicursorinae 

Status: Extinct 

Time and Place: 70 million years ago, in the Maastrichtian of the Late Cretaceous

Nemegtonykus is known from the Nemegt Formation of Ömnögovi, Mongolia

Physical Description: Nemegtonykus is known from a partial skeleton, showing a one meter long, lightly built bipedal animal. Like other Alvarezsaurs, it had a long tail and long, thin legs. We don’t know much about its arms or head, but it’s reasonable to suppose it – like other Alvarezsaurs – would have had single thumb claws, and no other digits on its arms; and a small head, ending in a very pointed snout. Parvicursorines, like Nemegtonykus, were of the small and lightly-built vein of Alvarezsaurs – and the apparently much more diverse group – rather than the heavily built Patagonykines. As a small birdie dinosaur, Nemegtonykus would have been covered in feathers, and possibly even had small wing-like feathers on its arms as display structures. 

Diet: Alvarezsaur diets is a bit of question – one of the most popular hypotheses is that Alvarezsaurs are insectivores, however there is still a question and they may have been more generalist omnivores. 

By José Carlos Cortés

Behavior: Nemegtonykus, as an Alvarezsaur, would have been extremely specialized in speed – its legs were well built for running, both to escape predators and potentially search for prey. It also would have been fairly good at hopping, able to leap out of the way in times of danger or distress. It is possible that the little claws of Nemegtonykus would have been useful in digging up insects or other sources of food out of hard to reach places. Nemegtonykus, like other Alvarezsaurs, would have been a very skittish and anxious animal, using its ability to run to escape danger as quickly as possible. The feathers would have been useful both in thermoregulation (given its small size) and display to other members of the species; and it probably took care of its young to some extent. 

Ecosystem: Nemegtonykus lived in the famous and diverse Nemegt Formation, an environment filled to bursting with different kinds of dinosaurs and other prehistoric creatures. This was a vast wetland, flooded with river channels that created extensive lakes, mudflats, and floodplains, much like the modern Okavango Delta in Botswana. This swamp field was surrounded by extensive coniferous forests, where the ground became somewhat drier. This was an area of animals highly specialized for their environment – especially creatures specialized for feeding on water plants, making them all various kinds of vaguely-duck-like animals. There was Duck Satan Deinocheirus, and the ornithomimosaurs Gallimimus and Answerimimus who also had duck-like bills for feeding on soft plants. There was the Hadrosaur (Duck-Billed Dinosaur) Saurolophus, which also fed on soft, mushy plants; and the actual early duck-like thing, Teviornis. In terms of non-duck dinosaurs, there was the large tyrannosaur Tarbosaurus and the smaller Alioramus; Troodontids like Tochisaurus, Zanabazar, and Borogovia; a million kind of chickenparrots like Avimimus, Elmisaurus, Conchoraptor, Nemegtomaia, Nomingia, and Rinchenia; the Hesperornithine Brodavis; Pachycephalosaurs like Homalocephale and Prenocephale; Ankylosaurs such as Tarchia and Saichania; the titanosaur Nemegtosaurus; the Therizinosaur Therizinosaurus; the raptor Adasaurus; and another Alvarezsaur – Mononykus. There was also an Azhdarchid pterosaur, the mammal Buginbaatar, and a variety of crocodilians and turtles. 

By Scott Reid

Other: Nemegtonykus was found alongside a specimen of Mononykus, potentially indicating that different Alvarezsaurs potentially socialized with each other, or at least didn’t avoid each other within their shared habitats. This may also indicate a level of niche partitioning between different Alvarezsaurs. 

~ By Meig Dickson

Sources Under the Cut 

Europatitan eastwoodi

By Stolp

Etymology: European titan

First Described By: Fernández-Baldor et al., 2017 

Classification: Dinosauromorpha, Dinosauriformes, Dracohors, Dinosauria, Saurischia, Eusaurischia, Sauropodomorpha, Bagualosauria, Plateosauria, Massopoda, Sauropodiformes, Anchisauria, Sauropoda, Gravisauria, Eusauropoda, Neosauropoda, Macronaria, Titanosauriformes, Somphospondyli 

Status: Extinct 

Time and Place: Around 125 million years ago, at the boundary between the Barremian and Aptian ages of the Early Cretaceous 

Europatitan is known only from the Castrillo de la Reina Formation in Spain. 

Physical Description: Europatitan would have looked a lot like other basal titanosauriformes such as Brachiosaurus. The neck vertebrae of Europatitan are especially elongate and would have been heavily pneumatized by air sacs. Although not all of the neck is known, these indicate it would have been extremely long, similar to Giraffatitan or Sauroposeidon. The body of Europatitan would have been quite wide, as its ribs indicate, and its tail fairly short. The only limb elements of Europatitan known are a couple metacarpals, but even these are enough to show it had robust forelimbs. The head of Europatitan is unknown except for a tooth, but it would have likely been similar to that of Giraffatitan. 

By Scott Reid

Diet: As a sauropod, Europatitan would have been herbivorous. Its teeth were spoon-shaped, unlike the pencil-shaped teeth of diplodocoids and titanosaurs, indicating it probably had a different diet than them (which would have been useful to avoid competition with the contemporary Demandasaurus). Based on neck size, their target diet would have likely been at the tallest parts of trees.

Behavior: Europatitan would have spent much of its time eating leaves at the top of the forest tree-line as far as its neck could reach, and then moving to the next available spot for foliage. Like many sauropods, Europatitan likely spent time with others of its genera in order to reduce predation on the more vulnerable members of the group (such as sick, older, or younger individuals). While we don’t have any direct evidence for whether or not Europatitan actively cared for its young or not, the basal behavior shared among all extant archosaurs (crocodiles and birds) is some degree of parental care. 

By José Carlos Cortés

Ecosystem: Europatitan’s fossils were found in the Castrillo de la Reina Formation, which in the Cretaceous would have been a floodplain, with a river flowing in from the southwest. The Castrillo de la Reina environment was also home to the rebbachisaurid Demandasaurus, the earliest rhabdodont, other indeterminate ornithopods, theropods, and the lizard Arcanosaurus. We don’t know how many of these directly lived alongside Europatitan, though, as the specific site that Europatitan was found at has only yielded theropod teeth and fragments of an iguanodont.

By Ripley Cook

Other: Fun fact: the type species of Europatitan, E. eastwoodi, is named for actor Clint Eastwood. The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, which he starred in, was filmed near where they found the fossil.

~ By Henry Thomas and Blaire Fei

Sources Under the Cut 

Aepyornithomimus tugrikinensis

By Scott Reid

Etymology: Elephant Bird Mimic 

First Described By: Tsogtbaatar et al., 2017 

Classification: Dinosauromorpha, Dinosauriformes, Dracohors, Dinosauria, Saurischia, Eusaurischia, Theropoda, Neotheropoda, Averostra, Tetanurae, Orionides, Avetheropoda, Coelurosauria, Tyrannoraptora, Maniraptoromorpha, Maniraptoriformes, Ornithomimosauria, Ornithomimoidea, Ornithomimidae

Status: Extinct 

Time and Place: Around 80 million years ago, in the Campanian of the Late Cretaceous 

Aepyornithomimus is known from the Tögrögiin Shiree environment of the Djadokhta Formation in Ömnögovi, Mongolia 

Physical Description: Aepyornithomimus was a large, derived Ornithomimosaur, much like the later Struthiomimus and Ornithomimus – indicating that these animals were present early on in the Latest Cretaceous. In fact, Aepyornithomimus was somewhat intermediate in form between earlier and later forms, indicating it was somewhat transitional. The size of this dinosaur is unknown, since so little of its skeleton is known, and it could have been anywhere between 2 and 5 meters long. It had unique feet, with fairly slender toes that were weirdly curved compared to close relatives. It also had longer toes than later forms – indicating said transitional nature. Unfortunately, the only parts of this dinosaur known are its legs and feet, so any weirdness elsewhere is currently unknown – though it stands to reason it may have looked different from other Ornithomimosaurs. It probably had a toothless beak, with a small head, long neck, and decently sized tail. As an Ornithomimosaur, Aepyornithomimus would have been covered in feathers all over its body, with wings on its arms (and potential ornamental feathers elsewhere as well). 

By Ripley Cook

Diet: It is more likely than not that Aepyornithomimus was an herbivore, as other Ornithomimosaurs were as well. 

Behavior: As an Ornithomimosaur, Aepyornithomimus would have been fast moving, primarily using speed to run away from predators rather than other means of defense. It probably would have lived in herds, or at least small groups, exploring its environment and feeding together. It is possible that it may have had adaptations in its mouth to aid in feeding on dry vegetation – since Ornithomimosaurs are usually wet-habitat dwellers, and stick to soft water-based vegetation, Aepyornithomimus is fascinating as a case study into how these dinosaurs adapted to different areas. As a dinosaur, it would have taken care of its young, potentially with the help of the rest of the flock. The wings would have been primarily used in communication – especially sexual and other forms of display. Brighter colors or weirder patterns on those feathers would have been used to indicate the health of the individuals involved. 

By José Carlos Cortés

Ecosystem: The Tögrögiin environment was a red, windswept desert, much like how the fossil formation where these animals are found is today. There wasn’t a lot in terms of water, though eventually the ecosystem would transition to a wetter environment during the time of the likes of Deinocheirus et al. There were oases and arroyos, but it would have primarily been very, very dry. This means it would have been filled with tough vegetation, and as such it wasn’t a very herbivore-heavy environment. 

This environment was filled with a wide variety of animals – especially lizards. There were Iguanas like Mimeosaurus, Temujinia, Zapsosaurus, Isodontosaurus, Flaviagama, Gurvansaurus, and Dzhadochtosaurus; skinks like Adamisaurus; and monitors like Cherminotus. As for mammals, there were the insectivorous stem-mammals like Barunlestes and Zalambdalestes, and the multituberculate Kryptobaatar. 

By Stolp

Of course, Aepyornithomimus wasn’t the only dinosaur here! This place was lousy with the Ceratopsian Protoceratops, which would have been a major competitor with Aepyornithomimus for plant food; and there were also plenty of Pinacosaurus, the Ankylosaur, which would have been able to reach for plants with its long and flexible tongue. Insectivores included Shuvuuia, the Alvarezsaur; and Elsornis, the Opposite Bird. Mahakala, an early raptor, was present as well – and it may or may not have specialized in feeding whatever animals were present at the oases and arroyos that were present, as it seems to have been closely related to the later Goose-Raptor Halszkaraptor. Finally, the main predator of Aepyornithomimus would have been Velociraptor – which was extremely common in this location as well! 

Other: Aepyornithomimus, as a potentially transitional Ornithomimosaur, helps to highlight some of the evolution of this group. It is entirely possible that Ornithomimids originated in Asia, before spreading out to North America – or, at least, went through a major portion of their evolution there. Aepyornithomimus also will help to show, as we study it further, how Ornithomimids may have handled the challenge of evolving for drier habitats. 

~ By Meig Dickson 

Sources Under the Cut 

Larosterna inca

By Cristóbal Alvarado Minic, CC BY 2.0

Etymology: Gull-Tern 

First Described By: Blyth, 1852 

Classification: Dinosauromorpha, Dinosauriformes, Dracohors, Dinosauria, Saurischia, Eusaurischia, Theropoda, Neotheropoda, Averostra, Tetanurae, Orionides, Avetheropoda, Coelurosauria, Tyrannoraptora, Maniraptoromorpha, Maniraptoriformes, Maniraptora, Pennaraptora, Paraves, Eumaniraptora, Averaptora, Avialae, Euavialae, Avebrevicauda, Pygostaylia, Ornithothoraces, Euornithes, Ornithuromorpha, Ornithurae, Neornithes, Neognathae, Neoaves, Aequorlitornithes, Charadriiformes, Lari, Larida, Laridae, Sterninae 

Status: Extant, Near Threatened 

Time and Place: Since 126,000 years ago, from the Chibanian of the Pleistocene through the Holocene of the Quaternary 

Inca Terns are known from the Pacific Coast of South America 

Physical Description: Inca Terns are extremely visually distinctive birds, thanks to their bright red beaks and weird villainous-moustache feather plumes. These birds range in size between 39 and 42 centimeters in length, and are grey over most of their bodies. Their tails are distinctively black, and the wings are grey before ending in a distinctive white band and then continuing to black tips when folded. Their beaks are bright red, large, and slightly curved. They have a small yellow patch of feathers under their eyes, and a very long, curly white feather ribbon going from right under their eye down their neck. Their legs are short and dark red as well. The juveniles tend to be more brown all over before becoming darker with age. 

Diet: Inca Terns feed primarily on small fish, plankton, and scraps. 

By Cristóbal Alvarado Minic, CC BY 2.0

Behavior: These terns will stick to fishing boats in large flocks, hovering around them in order to opportunistically feed off of food brought up by fishing activity. They often will detect large sea mammals and fly away – rapidly – to avoid them, and also to grab the food that is welled up by them. They can often live in flocks of up to 5000 members. They forage by plunging in the water and diving for food, as well as dipping a little on the surface. They do not migrate, and are extremely loud at their colonies – making a variety of cackling and mewing sounds. 

By Cristóbal Alvarado Minic, CC BY 2.0

Inca Terns breed throughout the year, with nests and eggs found in both the summer and the winter. Courting and mating birds are also found all over their range throughout the year. They build nests in fissures, burrows, and caves, as well as underneath rocks and boulders on the shore. They often build nests in mixed-species flocks with petrels and cormorants, though they will hide the nests more when vultures and other predators are present. They lay about two eggs which are incubated for four weeks, they hatch as small fluffy grey blobs that fledge in four more weeks. They are dependent on the parents for another month. The parents are monogamous, with both helping to take care of the young; interestingly enough, their fascinating plumage isn’t for sexual display, but rather to indicate the health of the individuals. In fact, the length of the villain moustache is the clearest indicator of individual health. These birds can live up to 25 years, though it is usually significantly less in the wild. 

By Josue Hermoza, CC BY-SA 4.0

Ecosystem: Inca Terns primarily live in rocky coasts or where sandy beaches are surrounded by cliffs, since those are their primary nesting habitats. They are fed upon by cats, rats, and sea lions, as well as some raptors like falcons, and large seabirds do feed on the nests. 

By Olaf Oliviero Riemer, CC BY-SA 3.0

Other: Inca Terns are considered near threatened, primarily due to fluctuations in food from El Niño – they have dramatic population drops in response, but then rebound quickly when it stops, indicating potential emigration rather than starvation. There is some hunting by humans, but not enough to cause these population drops. There are breeding programs present, especially in zoos, where Inca Terns do quite well. Inca Terns have actually been around since the last Ice Age, where their range was much more northward, indicating they have shifted their habitat with the warming of the planet. 

Sources Under the Cut 

Macrocephalon maleo

By Ariefrahman, CC BY-SA 4.0

Etymology: Great Head 

First Described By: Müller, 1846 

Classification: Dinosauromorpha, Dinosauriformes, Dracohors, Dinosauria, Saurischia, Eusaurischia, Theropoda, Neotheropoda, Averostra, Tetanurae, Orionides, Avetheropoda, Coelurosauria, Tyrannoraptora, Maniraptoromorpha, Maniraptoriformes, Maniraptora, Pennaraptora, Paraves, Eumaniraptora, Averaptora, Avialae, Euavialae, Avebrevicauda, Pygostaylia, Ornithothoraces, Euornithes, Ornithuromorpha, Ornithurae, Neornithes, Neognathae, Galloanserae, Pangalliformes, Galliformes, Megapodiidae  

Status: Extant, Endangered

Time and Place: Within the last 10,000 years, in the Holocene of the Quaternary 

Maleos are known entirely from the island of Sulawesi in Indonesia 

Physical Description: Maleos are large landfowl, reaching 55 centimeters in length. These are large, round birds with skinny necks and odd looking heads – they have black crests on the tops of their heads that flop over the back, and little red bands at the top of their beaks. The beaks of Maleos are thick and grey, and they have primarily brown heads. Their backs are black, as are their wings and tails, but their bellies are white; and they have long, grey legs. In addition to all of this, Maleos have orange rings around their eyes that are extremely noticeable. The young tend to have black heads in addition to these features. 

Diet: Maleos feed on a variety of fruits, seeds, insects, and other invertebrates. 

By Stavenn, CC BY-SA 3.0

Behavior: Maleos are Megapodes, which means they are one of the only groups of dinosaurs that don’t take care of their young! Instead, Megapodes make giant mound-nests which use geothermal energy and solar-heat in order to incubate the eggs. Maleos are monogamous, mating with only one individual per season (and potentially per life, but they aren’t very well studied), and the pair builds the nest mound together, lays the eggs, and leaves. Around ten eggs are laid per year, though some may lay as many as thirty. The eggs incubate for nearly three months; when the young hatch, they rapidly lose a lot of weight, before beginning to chow down on as much food as possible and growing rapidly for the next two months. They reach sexual maturity themselves at around two years of age. They can live for up to 23 years. 

By BronxZooFan, CC BY-SA 4.0

These are noisy birds, making a wide variety of calls including brays, rolls, and quacking – to the point of sounding rather surreal in some situations. They tend to spend most of their time foraging with their mate, walking around and gathering the food off of the ground. They do not migrate, but they also do move around the island each year, not sticking in one place or placing their nests in the same sites from year to year. 

Ecosystem: These megapodes live primarily in lowland and hill jungle, going to the beaches for their breeding or in forest clearings with extensive amounts of sand. They usually roost in trees high off of the ground. Maleos are preyed upon by humans, pigs, monitor lizards, and crocodilians. 

By Ariefrahman, CC BY-SA 4.0

Other: Maleos are endangered, with only potentially 14,000 individuals left with a rapidly declining population. The reasons for this seem to be due to human exploitation, egg hunting by humans and introduced mammalian predators, and extensive habitat loss. This is also illegal, as much of that lost habitat is protected – as are the eggs of this species, which are being collected in the thousands. Since they are a delicacy, and not a food source staple, this practice must be condemned and hopefully further regulation can help to increase Maleo populations. 

~ By Meig Dickson

Sources Under the Cut 

Chiappeavis magnapremaxillo

By José Carlos Cortés

Etymology: Chiappe’s Bird

First Described By: O’Connor et al, 2016 

Classification: Dinosauromorpha, Dinosauriformes, Dracohors, Dinosauria, Saurischia, Eusaurischia, Theropoda, Neotheropoda, Averostra, Tetanurae, Orionides, Avetheropoda, Coelurosauria, Tyrannoraptora, Maniraptoromorpha, Maniraptoriformes, Maniraptora, Pennaraptora, Paraves, Eumaniraptora, Averaptora, Avialae, Euavialae, Avebrevicauda, Pygostaylia, Ornithothoraces, Enantiornithes, Cathayornithiformes 

Status: Extinct

Time and Place: 120 million years ago, in the Aptian age of the Early Cretaceous 

Chiappeavis is known from the Jiufotang Formation of China, specifically in the Shangheshou Beds 

Physical Description: Chiappeavis was an Opposite Bird, ie the group of bird-like dinosaurs that were extremely diverse and widespread during the Cretaceous period. Chiappeavis is known from a nearly complete skeleton, including some feather impressions. It was a fairly large bird, probably around 20 or so centimeters (though this is a very rough estimate). It had a small snout, with small pointed teeth inside of it, and a fairly large head. Its body was long, and it had large wings – good for more powerful flying as opposed to tighter maneuvering in between trees. Interestingly enough, Chiappeavis had a giant tail fan, which was not actually universal among Opposite BIrds as it is in modern birds. It also had fairly thick, strong feet. 

Diet: It is probable that Chiappeavis fed mainly on arthropods and other hard invertebrates. 

By Ripley Cook

Behavior: It is uncertain what the behavior of Chiappeavis was, given that we do not have extensive skeletons of this dinosaur. Still, it probably wouldn’t have flitted about the trees as much as birds with wings better built for maneuvering. The tail fan of Chiappeavis probably would have been extremely useful in sexual display, as well as other forms of communication – especially since it does not appear to have been very good at generating lift during flight (hence it not being widespread in other Opposite Birds). As such, it is more likely than not that Chiappeavis would have been fairly social, living in groups of multiple birds which communicated and recognized each other with feather displays. This, therefore, leads us to yet another likely hypothesis: that it took care of its young, at least to some extent. Beyond that, the behavior of Chiappeavis is a bit of a question – though it may have been able to dig out insects and other grubs with its strong feet, and then bit into the tough exteriors of these animals with its many needle-like teeth. 

Ecosystem: The Jiufotang Formation was one of the Jehol Biota ecosystems, aka a group of extremely diverse and lush environments that preserved birdie dinosaurs of the Early Cretaceous with great detail. In that, Chiappeavis is one of many dinosaurs found in this location with extensive feather preservation. TheJiufotang Environment was a dense forest, surrounding an extensive number of lakes, and near volcanically active mountains. Still, it isn’t quite as well known as the earlier Yixian formation, and in fact doesn’t seem to have as many plants preserved to inform the exact environment and temperature. Still, it’s reasonable to suppose it may have also been a temperate ecosystem, like the earlier Yixian Formation, potentially even with snow. 

By Jack Wood

In this environment, there were an extremely wide variety of animals. There was a decent diversity of fish, quite a few kinds of mammals, and the weird, unclassifiable Choristoderes were represented by Philydrosaurus, Ikechosaurus, and Liaoxisaurus. This ecosystem was lousy with pterosaurs, featuring a variety of Chaoynagopterids – like Chaoyangopterus itself, Eoazhdarcho, Jidapterus, and Shenzhoupterus; Pteranodonts like Guidraco, Ikrandraco, Liaoningopterus, Nurhachius, Liaoxipterus, and Linlongopterus; Tapejarids like “Huaxiapterus”, (probably) Nemicolopterus, and Sinopterus; and the weirdly late-surviving Anurognathid Vesperopterylus. 

As for dinosaurs, there were many, and most were bird like! There was of course the Ankylosaur Chuanqilong, and the early Ceratopsian Psittacosaurus; there was also an unnamed titanosaur. There was a Tyrannosauroid, SInotyrannus, the Chickenparrot Similicaudipteryx, the raptor Microraptor, and tons of early Avialans like Confuciusornis, Dalianraptor, Jeholornis, Omnivoropteryx, Sapeornis, Shenshiornis, and Zhongjianornis. There were also “true” birds (ie, the line of dinosaurs that would evolve into those we see today) such as Bellulornis, Piscivoravis, Archaeorhynchus, Chaoyangia, Jianchangornis, Parahongshanornis, Schizooura, Songlingornis, Yanornis, and Yixianornis. However, the most diverse group of dinosaurs were the Opposite Birds, of which Chiappeavis was only one of many. There was Alethoalaornis, Boluochia, Bohaiornis, Cathayornis, Cuspirostrisornis, Dapingfangornis, Eocathayornis, Piscivorenantiornis, Pengornis, Gracilornis, Huoshanornis, Largirostrornis, Longchengornis, Longipteryx, Rapaxavis, Shangyang, Sinornis, and Xiangornis – just to name a few! As such the Jiufotange remains as a rich ecosystem in which to study the evolution of this fantastic group of Cretaceous dinosaurs. 

By Scott Reid

Other: Chiappeavis is probably not its own thing – it is one of a number of Opposite Birds described without substantial evidence that it was a distinct genus and, indeed, many researchers consider them to be members of other genera. In this case, Chiappeavis is probably the same as Pengornis. Still, until it is officially lumped in, it must be treated as its own genus. It had a lot of similarities to Pengornis, regardless, indicating the two may belong to a larger clade of Opposite Birds. In short, Opposite Bird Phylogeny is kind of a mess, and needs a lot more intensive work than has currently been done. 

~ By Meig Dickson

Sources Under the Cut 

Pitohui

Hooded Pitohui by Berichard, CC BY-SA 2.0

Etymology: Inedible (Rubbish) Bird 

First Described By: Lesson, 1831 

Classification: Dinosauromorpha, Dinosauriformes, Dracohors, Dinosauria, Saurischia, Eusaurischia, Theropoda, Neotheropoda, Averostra, Tetanurae, Orionides, Avetheropoda, Coelurosauria, Tyrannoraptora, Maniraptoromorpha, Maniraptoriformes, Maniraptora, Pennaraptora, Paraves, Eumaniraptora, Averaptora, Avialae, Euavialae, Avebrevicauda, Pygostaylia, Ornithothoraces, Euornithes, Ornithuromorpha, Ornithurae, Neornithes, Neognathae, Neoaves, Inopinaves, Telluraves, Australaves, Eufalconimorphae, Psittacopasserae, Passeriformes, Eupasseres, Passeri, Euoscines, Corvides, Orioloidea, Oriolidae 

Referred Species: P. kirhocephalus (Northern Variable Pitohui), P. cerviniventris (Raja Ampat Pitohui), P. uropygialis (Southern Variable Pitohui), P. dichrous (Hooded Pitohui) 

Status: Extant, Least Concern 

Time and Place: Since 10,000 years ago, in the Holocene of the Quaternary 

Pitohuis are endemic to New Guinea 

Physical Description: The Pitohuis look like your average Corvids – large passerines with dark coloration, thick bills, and high intelligence – but there’s more to these strange birds than meets the eye. Pitohuis are some of the rare examples of poisonous birds! Pitohuis tend to range in size between 20 and 26 centimeters long, and they are mostly black all over with brown to bright orange patches on their bellies or backs – though there is, of course, one species that is primarily brown. They have large, thick black bills, short wings, and short tails. The sexes tend to be very alike in these birds, though some species have subpopulations with different colorations. The juveniles, in general, are more brown in regions that are black in the adults. These birds are extremely toxic, with a neurotoxin called homobatrachotoxin in their skin, feathers, and other tissues. The least toxic parts of these birds are their bones. The toxins are secreted into their feathers on purpose; though some is left behind in muscle and organ tissue, which indicates a lack of sensitivity to the toxins by the birds. Some individuals do not have the toxins, probably due to a lack of the toxin-making beetles in their diets; but this is a variable occurrence and the vast majority of Pitohuis have the toxins in their feathers and skin. 

Southern Variable Pitohui by Markus Lilje

Diet: Pitohuis primarily feed on insects, though at least a few species also supplement their diets with fruit and seeds. Most importantly, they feed on beetles of the genus Choresine, which contain the toxin they incorporate into their feathers. 

Raja Ampat Pitohui, by Carlos N. G. Bocos

Behavior: Pitohuis tend to forage at most levels of the forest, oftentimes in mixed-species flocks, though they are the ones that feed more on poisonous beetles than others in these flocks. They will hide in dense vegetation in order to avoid letting their prey know they’re there, but since they don’t have a lot of predators they don’t have to worry much about them. They do not migrate, but they are extremely vocal and social – making a variety of whistling and calls, which vary in word from species to species. Some are more leisurely than others, and they go between a variety of high and low pitches. Usually, they are quite musical and loud. Pitohuis begin breeding in early spring, and start nesting in the summer – though Hooded Pitohuis tend to lay more in the autumn. Multiple mated pairs probably work together to take care of the nest, which is a cup of vines and tendrils suspended on slender branches a few meters up from the ground. They typically lay one to two eggs a season. 

Hooded Pitohui by Markus Lilje

Ecosystem: Pitohuis live mainly in tropical rainforest and mangrove forests, as well as mountainous forests. They live at a variety of elevations, up to 2000 meters high; many species can also be found at forest edges and swamp forests, as well as lowlands. They do overlap with many other Pitohuis – including each other – and share the poisonous beetles among one another. Potential predators, including a variety of snakes, show marked sensitivity and irritation to even small amounts of the toxins found in the feathers of these birds – and as such, predators of the Pitohuis are not known at this time, at least of the adults. The young, who might not have as much of these toxins in their feathers and skin, are still vulnerable to nest raiders. Humans also do not feed on Pitohuis – leading to their name! 

Northern Variable Pitohui by Paul van Giersbergen

Other: Toxicity in birds is an extremely rare trait, but it seems to have evolved multiple times in birds in New Guinea. In fact, Pitohui is a general name often used for any such poisonous bird, but recent scientific studies has showcased they’re not actually closely related at all! So, many species of Pitohui actually belong to other genera in not closely related groups of songbirds. While the ones we discussed today are Orioles, some are Bellbirds and others are Whistlers/Shrikethrushes. They are all, however, in the general Corvides group. The reasons as to why toxicity evolves in birds is debated – it may be a defensive measure (and is used as such), but it also might just be a consequence of their diet. They had to do something with the toxins from the beetles – so why not shed it out into their feathers? And then, BONUS! They aren’t eaten by a lot of predators! Regardless of how this odd trait began, they aren’t hunted or eaten very much as a result! Though having a limited range, the toxicity of these birds means that they are rarely fed upon by predators – including humans – and as such, they are common in their ranges. 

Hooded Pitohui by Frédéric Pelsy

Species Differences: The Pitohuis mainly differ based on their coloration from species to species, though there are some range differences (the Hooded and Northern Pitohuis live on the northern half of New Guinea, the Southern Pitohui on the Southern Half, and the Raja Ampat Pitohui only on the island of Waigeo. Hooded Pitohuis have black heads and wings, with black tails; the rest of their bodies are utterly black orange. Raja Ampat Pitohuis are brown almost everywhere, except for having a lighter orange on their bellies and black tips to their wings and tails. Northern Variable Pitohuis can be one of three color schemes: grey heads with brown backs black tails and wings and bright orange bellies; black heads with dark orange backs black wings black tails and lighter orange bellies; or dark orange on top all over and a lighter orange on the belly. Southern Variable Pitohuis can be black on their heads wings and tails with a dark red-orange on their backs and bellies; or black on their heads and tails and wings with dark orange on top and lighter orange on bottom in only the males, while the females have more brown heads. So much variation! 

~ By Meig Dickson

Sources Under the Cut 

Irania gutturalis

By Amrou-A, CC BY-SA 4.0

Etymology: From Iran 

First Described By: de Filippi, 1863 

Classification: Dinosauromorpha, Dinosauriformes, Dracohors, Dinosauria, Saurischia, Eusaurischia, Theropoda, Neotheropoda, Averostra, Tetanurae, Orionides, Avetheropoda, Coelurosauria, Tyrannoraptora, Maniraptoromorpha, Maniraptoriformes, Maniraptora, Pennaraptora, Paraves, Eumaniraptora, Averaptora, Avialae, Euavialae, Avebrevicauda, Pygostaylia, Ornithothoraces, Euornithes, Ornithuromorpha, Ornithurae, Neornithes, Neognathae, Neoaves, Inopinaves, Telluraves, Australaves, Eufalconimorphae, Psittacopasserae, Passeriformes, Eupasseres, Passeri, Euoscines, Passerides, Core Passerides, Muscicapida, Muscicapoidea, Muscicapidae, Saxicolinae 

Status: Extant, Least Concern 

Time and Place: Since 10,000 years ago, in the Holocene of the Quaternary 

White-Throated Robins are known from the Middle East in the Summer and Eastern Africa in the Winter 

Physical Description: White-Throated Robins are beautiful passerines that actually kind of resemble American Robins in coloration, though they are not closely related at all and this is simply a case of convergent evolution. They range in size between 15 and 17 centimeters long, with grey backs and short black tails. Their wings tend to end in darker grey wingtips. They have a white stripe over their eyes, with a black side of their faces. As the name would suggest, their throats tend to be white in color. They have short, very pointy beaks and long grey legs. The reasons for their name is the coloration of their bellies – most males are a dark red-orange, and the females are as well, but with brown spotting and more white color on their belly. Some males are more of a yellow color than red-orange, which is fascinating. The juveniles tend to look like the females, but more dull in color. 

Diet: White-Throated Robins primarily feed upon invertebrates and fruits, include a variety of beetles and ants, as well as berries. 

By John A. Thompson

Behavior: These robins will forage among the low twigs on the ground, as well as in  bushes and trees. They usually skulk around, spending most of their time in dense undergrowth and hiding in the thicket in order to avoid danger. They are very faithful to their preferred foraging sites, and will even defend them as their territory during the winter foraging season. They are highly migratory, wintering in eastern Africa – from Eritrea to Tanzania – and then leaving their winter sites by the end of March, passing through Kenya and Ethiopia through to Western Asia & Turkey, though some get as far west as Greece and some as far south as Israel. White-Throated Robins then stay in their breeding sites until the end of August, moving back to Africaq by going across the Middle East. 

Given this very noticeable migration, White-Throated Robins are extremely social and coordinated, making noticeable sounds to one another based on the situation at hand. Their songs are loud, vigorous warbling for multiple seconds with a variety of pauses and phrases, including flute-like whistling and scratchy chatters. These songs are often made in flight as well. Sometimes, the males of this species will mimic other birds. They also make warbles, hard “tec-tec-tec” calls, and more trilling calls as well. They can be, and usually are, extremely loud. 

White-Throated Robins tend to breed in dry, rocky slopes with some bushes provided for cover. They usually lay one brood per season, in a nest made of twigs and plant stalks and lined with feathers, usually made in the shape of a flat cup. They’re placed low to the ground in a tree, bush, or stump, and they often place their nests in the same sites from year to year. They lay between four and six pale green-blue eggs, with brown spotting. The eggs are incubated for two weeks, and the young stay for a little bit longer than a week within the next. They then can flutter around at two weeks of age, and fly fully at three weeks. They stick with the parents for another two weeks, before being fully independent. 

By Westan Mese, CC BY-SA 4.0

Ecosystem: White-Throated Robins live in scrubland, steppe, stony arid hillsides, semi-desert, and mountainous regions during the breeding season, usually newer juniper and weedy terrain. They will also go to locations with birch and crab apple. In the winter they tend to live in semi-arid scrub and thickets, including acacia woodland and gardens. They don’t tend to reach higher elevations. White-Throated Robins are often preyed upon by lizards, snakes, and Common Magpies. 

Other: Funnily enough, despite being called a robin and being similar in appearance to the American Robin  – which is actually a thrush – White-Throated Robins are actually chats. Because passerine phylogenetics is a mess. They are not threatened with extinction, and there are probably millions of White-Throated Robins alive today. 

~ By Meig Dickson

Sources Under the Cut 

Myrtis fanny

By Michael Woodruff, CC BY-SA 2.0

Etymology: Named for the Boeotian poet, muse, and teacher

First Described By: Reichenbach, 1854 

Classification: Dinosauromorpha, Dinosauriformes, Dracohors, Dinosauria, Saurischia, Eusaurischia, Theropoda, Neotheropoda, Averostra, Tetanurae, Orionides, Avetheropoda, Coelurosauria, Tyrannoraptora, Maniraptoromorpha, Maniraptoriformes, Maniraptora, Pennaraptora, Paraves, Eumaniraptora, Averaptora, Avialae, Euavialae, Avebrevicauda, Pygostaylia, Ornithothoraces, Euornithes, Ornithuromorpha, Ornithurae, Neornithes, Neognathae, Neoaves, Strisores, Daedalornithes, Apodiformes, Trochilidae, Trochilinae 

Status: Extant, Least Concern 

Time and Place: Since 10,000 years ago, in the Holocene of the Quaternary 

Purple-Collared Woodstars are known from the western side of the Andes mountains (in lowland elevations) in the Northern half of South America 

Physical Description: Purple-Collared Woodstars, being hummingbirds, are extremely small dinosaurs, about 7.5 and 8 centimeters long and a little more than 2 grams in weight. Both sexes have green backs, but beyond that they look almost nothing alike. Males have long, curved bills, with blue throats and a violet stripe underneath. The rest of the belly is white. Their wings have black tips and their tails are V-shaped. The females, on the other hand, have less curve to their beaks; their bellies and under-throat are orange, and they have orange tips to their wings. They also have more rounded tails. Juveniles look like the females until they reach sexual maturity, where they either stay like that or develop the adult male plumage.  

Diet: These hummingbirds feed upon nectar from a variety of flowers (including cacti flowers), as well as some insects. 

By Hector Ceballos-Lascurain

Behavior: Purple-Collared Woodstars follow consistent routes back and forth from flower to flower, consistent in where they go and constantly on the move. Like other hummingbirds, they move their wings extremely fast in order to hover at the flower and get nectar with their long curved bills. They do rest occasionally, to bathe and sleep, but they are on the move more often than not. That being said, they do not seem to migrate, but do go up and down the altitude levels of the mountains following the blooming of the flowers. Males will fly in large semi-circles around the females, making twittering sounds at the top of the arc and making more trumpet sounds at the end of the arc. They also make chittering calls to one another while moving around, and chase flies while making different tweets. They breed from March through June closer to the equator, and more south they breed from June through October. They make nests out of plants and spider webs, placed in thin branches a few meters off of the ground. These hummingbirds lay two eggs which are incubated by the females for two weeks. The chicks are black and grey, and fledge after three weeks. They begin breeding at two years of age. 

By Arthur Grosset

Ecosystem: Purple-Collared Woodstars live in coastal scrub and the open woodland from the lowlands up to 3000 meters high in the Andes mountains, and they do not venture into more rainforested territory. They prefer the drier ecosystems for their right types of flowers. 

Other: Purple-Collared Woodstars, thankfully, are not threatened with extinction and are very common in their range; they are also very adaptable to human-created habitats. 

~ By Meig Dickson

Sources Under the Cut