Re: Sinornis - some questions

["Mickey Mortimer" <Mickey_Mortimer111@msn.com>]

Michael Lovejoy wrote-

> All I have to go on is Hou's Mesozoic Birds of China, which gives no
measurements for it.

The femur is 27 mm long.

> I've heard it referred to Cathayornis, is this correct?

Sereno makes Cathayornis yandica a junior synonym of Sinornis santensis in
the upcoming Mesozoic Birds: Above the Heads of the Dinosaurs.

> What kind of dentition did it have, and was there a beak?

The premaxilla had at least four teeth, while about ten teeth were probably
present in the dentary and maxilla.  Only a couple are preserved in each
bone, but they are posteriorly located enough to suggest this amount was
originally present.  The teeth had a basal constriction like all toothed
birds.

> Any feathers preserved?

No.

Mickey Mortimer