Serikornis

Serikornis Temporal range: Late Jurassic, Oxfordian PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
Snout tip of the holotype featuring maxillary dentition
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Clade:	Dinosauria
Clade:	Saurischia
Clade:	Theropoda
Clade:	Paraves
Family:	†Anchiornithidae
Genus:	†Serikornis Lefèvre et al., 2017
Species:	†S. sungei
Binomial name
†Serikornis sungei Lefèvre et al., 2017

Serikornis is a genus of small, feathered anchiornithid dinosaur from the Upper Jurassic Tiaojishan Formation of Liaoning, China. It is represented by the type species Serikornis sungei.

Discovery

Serikornis, first described in August 2017, is noteworthy for the variety of feather types represented in its holotype, a single complete articulated skeleton preserved on a slab along with extensive integumentary structures.^[1] The specimen's feather imprints include wispy bundles along the neck, short and symmetrical vaned feathers on the arms, and both fuzz and long pennaceous feathers on its hindlimbs. While its anatomy and integument share features with birds as well as derived dromaeosaurs such as Microraptor, cladistic analysis places the genus within the cluster of feathered dinosaurs near the origin of avians. It was unlikely to be a flier.^[2][3]

Its name means "Ge Sun's silk bird", a reference to the plumulaceous-like body covering evident in the fossil.^[1] The specimen's nickname, "Silky", refers to the striking resemblance of the delicate hindlimb filaments to the modern Silky breed of domestic chicken.^[4]

Description

The skeletal morphology of Serikornis suggests a terrestrial ecology without flying adaptations. The tail is covered proximally by filaments and distally by fine rectrices. Symmetrical, barbule-free remiges are attached along the forelimbs and elongated feathers of the hind limbs extend to the toes, suggesting that the remiges of the hind legs had evolved in the maniraptorans residing on the ground before being co-opted to an arboreal lifestyle and possibly, gliding.^[1]

The coracoid of Serikornis is devoid of diagnostic ornamentation present in Anchiornis but is distinguished by having the tuberculous coracoid elongated to form a crest. The postacetabular blade of the ilium (bone) is stouter and more squared than in Anchiornis but less robust and quadrangular than in Aurornis. The ischium does not show the particular dorsocaudally straight morphology that is proper of Aurornis, and has a narrow and unciform process. Serikornis is further distinguished by having very large anterior most maxillary teeth, about twice as long as the others. Since the skeleton compressed on a plane, Lefèvre and colleagues have used a new microscan technique called luminography to identify the pneumatic cavity in the vertebrae: the cervical vertebrae have a small pneumatic cavity, which is a derived condition shared by many other coelurosaurian theropods.^[1]

Classification

A phylogenetic analysis by Lefèvre et al. (2017) places Serikornis, along with other late Jurassic paravians from China, as basal Paraves, outside Eumaniraptora.^[1]

In the 2017 description of Halszkaraptor from Cau et al. (2017), who incorporate the a large-scale phylogenetic matrix in their study placed Serikornis in the newly described family Anchiornithidae,^[5] still being grouped with Eosinopteryx.^[2]

See also

• 2017 in archosaur paleontology

References

• v
• t
• e

Maniraptora

Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Clade: Dinosauria Clade: Theropoda Clade: Maniraptoriformes
Avemetatarsalia see Avemetatarsalia Theropoda see Theropoda Maniraptora see below↓

Maniraptora
Maniraptora †Elopteryx? †Fukuivenator? †Kakuru? †Migmanychion †Yaverlandia? †Alvarezsauroidea Achillesaurus Aorun? Bannykus Bonapartenykus Haplocheirus Patagonykus Shishugounykus Tugulusaurus? Xiyunykus Alvarezsauridae Achillesaurus? Alnashetri Alvarezsaurus Bonapartenykus? Bradycneme Heptasteornis Patagonykus? Parvicursorinae Dzharaonyx Jaculinykus Khulsanurus Kol? Nemegtonykus Ondogurvel Parvicursor Qiupanykus Trierarchuncus Ceratonykini Albinykus Ceratonykus Xixianykus Mononykini Albertonykus Linhenykus Mononykus Shuvuuia †Therizinosauria Eshanosaurus? Falcarius Fukuivenator? Jianchangosaurus Lingyuanosaurus Therizinosauroidea Alxasaurus Beipiaosaurus Enigmosaurus Martharaptor Suzhousaurus Therizinosauridae Erliansaurus Erlikosaurus Nanshiungosaurus Neimongosaurus Nothronychus Paralitherizinosaurus Segnosaurus Therizinosaurus Pennaraptora †Oviraptorosauria see Oviraptorosauria Paraves see below↓

Paraves
Paraves †Imperobator †Palaeopteryx? †Pneumatoraptor †Rahonavis †Scansoriopterygidae? Ambopteryx Epidexipteryx Scansoriopteryx Yi †Anchiornithidae Anchiornis Aurornis Caihong Eosinopteryx Fujianvenator Liaoningvenator? Ostromia Pedopenna Serikornis Xiaotingia Yixianosaurus †Archaeopterygidae Alcmonavis? Archaeopteryx Wellnhoferia Anchiornithidae? †Dromaeosauridae see Dromaeosauridae †Troodontidae see Troodontidae Avialae †Alcmonavis †Balaur? †Cretaaviculus? †Fukuipteryx †Overoraptor †Rahonavis? †Yandangornis †Zhongornis †Anchiornithidae? †Archaeopterygidae? †Scansoriopterygidae? †Jeholornithiformes Dalianraptor? Jeholornis Jixiangornis? Kompsornis Neimengornis Pygostylia †"Proornis" †Omnivoropterygidae? Omnivoropteryx Sapeornis †Confuciusornithidae Changchengornis Confuciusornis Eoconfuciusornis Yangavis †Jinguofortisidae Chongmingia Cratonavis Jinguofortis Ornithothoraces †Enantiornithes see Enantiornithes Euornithes see below↓

Euornithes
Euornithes †Archaeorhynchus †Bellulornis †Brevidentavis †Changmaornis †Changzuiornis †Chaoyangia †Dingavis †Eogranivora †Gansus †Gargantuavis? †Hollanda †Horezmavis †Iteravis †Jianchangornis †Jiuquanornis †Juehuaornis †Kaririavis †Khinganornis †Meemannavis †Platanavis †Vorona †Wyleyia? †Xinghaiornis †Yumenornis †Zhongjianornis †Schizoouridae Mengciusornis Schizooura †Patagopterygiformes Alamitornis Kuszholia? Patagopteryx †Ambiortiformes Ambiortus Apsaravis? Palintropus? †Hongshanornithidae Archaeornithura Hongshanornis Longicrusavis Parahongshanornis Tianyuornis †Songlingornithidae Hollanda? Piscivoravis? Songlingornis Yanornis? Yixianornis? †Yanornithidae Abitusavis Similiyanornis Yanornis Ornithurae †Antarcticavis? †Apatornis †Cerebavis †Gallornis †Guildavis †Iaceornis †Kookne †Limenavis †Tingmiatornis †Ichthyornithes Ichthyornis Janavis †Hesperornithes Baptornis Brodavis Chupkaornis Enaliornis Judinornis Pasquiaornis Potamornis Hesperornithidae Asiahesperornis Canadaga Fumicollis Hesperornis Parahesperornis †Vegaviidae Australornis? Maaqwi Neogaeornis? Polarornis Vegavis †Cimolopterygidae Ceramornis Cimolopteryx Lamarqueavis? Aves / Neornithes see below↓

Aves / Neornithes
Palaeognathae see Palaeognathae Neognathae Neoaves Galloanserae Anserimorphae see Anserimorphae Pangalliformes see Pangalliformes Incertae sedis †Asteriornis †Perplexicervix †Qinornis? †Dromornithidae Barawertornis Dromornis Genyornis Ilbandornis †Gastornithiformes Brontornis? Gastornis Dromornithidae? †Pelagornithidae Aequornis Caspiodontornis Cyphornis Dasornis Gigantornis Laornis? Lutetodontopteris Macrodontopteryx Manu? Odontopteryx Odontoptila Osteodontornis Palaeochenoides Pelagornis Proceriavis? Protodontopteryx Protopelicanus? Pseudodontornis Tympanonesiotes

• See also: Archaeornithes
• Carinatae
• Deinonychosauria
• Odontognathae
• Odontornithes
• Sauriurae
• Unenlagiidae
• Category