Re: Earliest Neornithean?

["T. Mike Keesey" <tkeese1@gl.umbc.edu>]

On Tue, 9 Nov 1999, Timothy Williams wrote:

> T. Mike Keesey wrote:
> 
> >Does anyone know which time period the earliest known neornithean hails
> >from?
> >
> 
> I have _Ambiortus dementjevi_ listed as Barremian-Aptian 
> (Khurilt-Ulan-Bulak, Bajan-Khongor aimek, Mongolia; Unduruhinskaya 
> Formation).  Not sure if it qualifies as a true neornithine or even an 
> ornithurine - then again, I don't think anyone's sure.
> 
> _Gansus yumenensis_ is Early Cretaceous too, but I'm not sure of the exact 
> age - nor, again, if it's a true neornithine.

I have _Ambiortus_ as an ambiortimorph (Ambiortimorphae being the
proximate outgroup to Neornithes -- include Ichthyornithiformes) and
_Gansus_ as a non-ornithuran euornithean (placement questionable).

--T. Michael Keesey
tkeese1@gl.umbc.edu | THE DINOSAURICON: http://dinosaur.umbc.edu/
AOL IM:  Ric Blayze | WORLDS:    http://www.gl.umbc.edu/~tkeese1/