| Chongmingia | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Photograph and line drawing of theholotype ofChongmingia. | |
Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Clade: | Dinosauria |
| Clade: | Saurischia |
| Clade: | Theropoda |
| Clade: | Avialae |
| Family: | †Jinguofortisidae |
| Genus: | †Chongmingia Wanget al., 2016 |
| Type species | |
| Chongmingia zhengi Wanget al., 2016 | |
Chongmingia is a genus of basalavialan belonging toPygostylia that lived during theAptian. It was found in theJiufotang Formation inChaoyang,China, and was described by Wanget al., 2016.[1] The name comes from the wordChongming, referring to a Chinese mythological bird, and the specific epithet is in honor of Mr. Xiaoting Zheng.[1]
The species was first described in 2015; the description appeared in the pages ofScientific Reports. Only the holotype, extracted from theJehol Biota sediments from theEarly Cretaceous period in north-eastChina, was discovered.Chongmingia zhengi represents a developmental line unknown at the time of description, it illustrates the diversity of traits in contemporary birds. Thefurcula inC. zhengi was stiff, which indicates their poor performance and the need to use more force on the fly. On the other hand, the relatively long forelimb and well-developed chest and shoulderkeel on the humerus may indicate that the bird was able to provide enough strength to rise into the air. The presence ofgastroliths indicates the prevalence of herbivory in early birds. Depending on the point of view,C. zhengi represents a previously unknown sister taxa to theOrnithothoraces clade, belonging toAvialae, or a sister taxon to a clade made up of all otherAvialae exceptArchaeopteryx.[1]
The creators of the genus proposed two possible cladograms depicting kinship betweenC. zhengi and related taxa.[1] The proposal that the new genus is a sister group for a clade made up of all the other avialans exceptArchaeopteryx is marked ingreen, while the competitive hypothesis for theOrnithothoraces sister group in its shown inblue.
| Avialae |
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In the 2018 description of the basal pygostylianJinguofortis,Chongmingia was recovered as a basal pygostylian sister to the former genus, and both genera placed in the new familyJinguofortisidae.[2]
In 2023, a third jinguofortisid was described by Liet al. They recovered their new taxon,Cratonavis, as thesister taxon toChongmingia. The results of theirphylogenetic analyses are shown in thecladogram below.[3]
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