| Ambiortiforms | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Clade: | Dinosauria |
| Clade: | Saurischia |
| Clade: | Theropoda |
| Clade: | Avialae |
| Clade: | Euornithes |
| Clade: | †Ambiortiformes Kurochkin, 1982 |
| Genera | |
| Synonyms | |
| |
Ambiortiformes is a group of prehistoricornithuromorphdinosaurs.
The first species to be included,Ambiortus dementjevi, lived sometime during theBarremian age between 136.4 and 125 million years ago[1] in today'sMongolia.A. dementjevi belongs to theOrnithuromorpha (the group containing modern birds but notenantiornithes), according to all publishedcladistic analyses. However, the exact position of the species within this group has been controversial. Most analyses have found it to be either an unresolved member of theOrnithurae, or a more primitive member ofOrnithuromorpha. One 2006 study, for example, found it to be more primitive thanYanornis but more advanced thanHongshanornis, or even a member of the specific group containing bothYanornis andYixianornis.[2]
The group includes at leastAmbiortus and possibly the supposed close relativeApsaravis.[3] The results of acladistic analysis published in 2011 indicate thatApsaravis andPalintropus are very closely related.[4]
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