PBDB Taxon

Basic info	Taxonomic history	Classification	Included Taxa
Morphology	Ecology and taphonomy	External Literature Search	Age range and collections

Confuciusornis sanctus

Reptilia - Confuciusornithiformes - Confuciusornithidae

Taxonomy

Confuciusornis sanctus was named by Hou et al. (1995). Its type specimen is IVPP 10918, a partial skeleton (complete skull and associated wing elements), and it is a compression preserving soft parts. Its type locality is Huanghuagou, Shangyuan, which is in a Barremian/Aptian lacustrine mudstone in the Yixian Formation of China.

Synonyms

Confuciusornis feducciai was named by Zhang et al. (2009). Its type specimen is Dalian Natural Museum D2454, a skeleton (nearly complete and articulated skeleton with feathers preserved in ventral view), and it is a compression preserving soft parts. Its type locality is Sihetun (Dalian Natural Museum), which is in a Barremian/Aptian lacustrine siliciclastic in the Yixian Formation of China.

It was synonymized subjectively with Confuciusornis sanctus by Wang et al. (2019).
Confuciusornis suniae was named by Hou (1997). Its type specimen is IVPP V11308, a skeleton (complete skeleton with feathers), and it is a compression preserving soft parts. Its type locality is Sihetun, Yixian bed 6 (29), which is in a Barremian/Aptian lacustrine siltstone/mudstone in the Yixian Formation of China.

It was corrected as Confuciusornis sunae by Wang et al. (1999); it was misspelled as Confuciusornis sunae by Wang et al. (1999), Zhang et al. (2009) and Li et al. (2010); it was synonymized subjectively with Confuciusornis sanctus by Wang et al. (2019).
Confuciusornis jianchangensis was named by Li et al. (2010). Its type specimen is PMOL-AB00114, a skeleton, and it is a compression fossil. Its type locality is Toudaoyingzi, Jianchang, which is in an Aptian lacustrine sandstone/mudstone in the Jiufotang Formation of China.

It was synonymized subjectively with Confuciusornis sanctus by Wang et al. (2019).
Jinzhouornis yixianensis was named by Hou et al. (2002). Its type specimen is IVPP V14412, a skeleton, and it is a compression fossil. Its type locality is Wutun, Jinzhou, which is in a Barremian/Aptian lacustrine horizon in the Yixian Formation of China.

It was synonymized subjectively with Confuciusornis sanctus by Wang et al. (2019).
Jinzhouornis zhangjiyingia was named by Hou et al. (2002). Its type specimen is IVPP V 12352, a skeleton, and it is a compression preserving soft parts. Its type locality is Heitizigou, which is in a Barremian/Aptian lacustrine shale in the Yixian Formation of China.

It was synonymized subjectively with Confuciusornis sanctus by Wang et al. (2019).

Synonymy list

Year	Name and author
1995	Confuciusornis sanctus Hou et al.
1997	Confuciusornis sanctus Hou
1997	Confuciusornis suniae Hou pp. 37-44
1999	Confuciusornis sanctus Ji et al. p. 1
1999	Confuciusornis sanctus Wang et al. p. 2
1999	Confuciusornis sunae Wang et al. p. 2
1999	Confuciusornis sanctus Wang et al. p. 459
1999	Confuciusornis sunae Wang et al. p. 459
2002	Confuciusornis sanctus Chiappe p. 452
2002	Jinzhouornis yixianensis Hou et al.
2002	Jinzhouornis zhangjiyingia Hou et al.
2002	Confuciusornis sanctus Maryanska et al. p. 101 fig. 1
2004	Confuciusornis sanctus Padian p. 212
2007	Confuciusornis sanctus Turner et al. p. 5
2009	Confuciusornis sanctus Norell et al. p. 28
2009	Confuciusornis feducciai Zhang et al. p. 784
2009	Confuciusornis sanctus Zhang et al. p. 787
2009	Confuciusornis suniae Zhang et al. p. 787
2010	Confuciusornis feducciai Li et al. p. 90–92
2010	Confuciusornis sanctus Li et al. p. 90–91
2010	Confuciusornis suniae Li et al. p. 90
2010	Jinzhouornis yixianensis Li et al. p. 92
2010	Jinzhouornis zhangjiyingia Li et al. p. 92
2010	Confuciusornis jianchangensis Li et al. p. 184 figs. 1-2
2011	Confuciusornis sanctus Goianechini and Apesteguía p. 167
2011	Confuciusornis sanctus Turner et al. p. 8
2013	Confuciusornis sanctus O'Connor and Zelenkov
2013	Jinzhouornis zhangjiyingia O'Connor and Zelenkov
2013	Confuciusornis sanctus Zhou et al.
2014	Jinzhouornis zhangjiyingia O'Connor et al.
2014	Confuciusornis sanctus Wang et al.
2014	Jinzhouornis zhangjiyingia Wang et al.
2014	Confuciusornis sanctus Wang et al.
2015	Confuciusornis sanctus Wang et al.
2019	Confuciusornis sanctus Wang et al. p. 4–5

Is something missing? Join the Paleobiology Database and enter the data

Rank	Name	Author
kingdom	Animalia	()
—	Bilateria
—	Eubilateria	Ax 1987
—	Deuterostomia
phylum	Chordata	Haeckel 1874
subphylum	Vertebrata
superclass	Gnathostomata
—	Osteichthyes	()
subclass	Sarcopterygii	()
subclass	Dipnotetrapodomorpha	(Nelson 2006)
subclass	Tetrapodomorpha	()
—	Tetrapoda
—	Reptiliomorpha
—	Anthracosauria
subclass	Amphibiosauria	Kuhn 1967
—	Cotylosauria	()
—	Amniota
—	Sauropsida
class	Reptilia
subclass	Eureptilia	()
—	Romeriida
—	Diapsida	()
—	Archosauromorpha	(Huene 1946)

Rank	Name	Author
—	Crocopoda
—	Archosauriformes	Gauthier 1986
—	Eucrocopoda
—	Archosauria	()
informal	Avemetatarsalia
—	Ornithodira
—	Dinosauromorpha
—	Dinosauriformes
—	Dinosauria	()
—	Theropoda	()
—	Neotheropoda
—	Averostra	Paul 2002
—	Tetanurae
—	Coelurosauria	()
—	Maniraptora
—	Paraves
class	Aves
—	Pygostylia	Chiappe 2002
order	Confuciusornithiformes	Hou et al. 1995
family	Confuciusornithidae	Hou et al. 1995
genus	Confuciusornis	Hou et al. 1995
species	sanctus	Hou et al. 1995

If no rank is listed, the taxon is considered an unranked clade in modern classifications. Ranks may be repeated or presented in the wrong order because authors working on different parts of the classification may disagree about how to rank taxa.

†Confuciusornis sanctus Hou et al. 1995

show all | hide all

Invalid names: Confuciusornis feducciai Zhang et al. 2009 [synonym], Confuciusornis jianchangensis Li et al. 2010 [synonym], Confuciusornis suniae Hou 1997 [synonym], Jinzhouornis yixianensis Hou et al. 2002 [synonym], Jinzhouornis zhangjiyingia Hou et al. 2002 [synonym]

Diagnosis

Reference	Diagnosis
L. H. Hou 1997	The size of the Eichstaff Archaeopteryx specimen. Edentulous but with regularly patterned grooves in the jaws indicating the presence of a keratinous beak. Orbit is large and antorbital fenestra is circular. Proximal end of humerus is expanded with a pneumatoceoel present. Ungual phalanx of the first digit is long and robust, manus phalanges are slender and unreduces, and carpals are unfused with metacarpals. Ischium is robust with a slightly expanded sital end and a dorsal process near its proximal end. A fifth metatarsal is present. Pes talons are large and recurved.
L. H. Hou 1997 (Confuciusornis suniae)	The rostral end of the premaxilla has a particularly open vacuity, the nasal process is elongated, external nares are large, frontals are short, and parietals are well developed. Cervical vertebrae are particularly flattened and broadened with small pleurocoels laterally; neural spines are narrow and extremely low anteroposteriorly. Thoracic vertebrae are long and thin with deep and long grooves within the pleurocoels. Lumbar diapophyses are fused. The posterior most three lumbar diapophyses are fused, sacral diapophyses are fused to the medial wall of the ilia, sacral neural spines are fused, and caudal vertebrae are basically fused. . Sternal body is narrow and long with deep elongated lateral recesses.
M. Wang et al. 2019	A confuciusornithiform distinguished by the following aut- apomorphies: maxilla with an imperforate halberd-shaped dorsal process; and tibiotarsus with a tubercle on the distal part of the dorsal surface, possibly representing an attachment point for the extensor retinaculum. C. sanctus can be further differentiated from other confuciusornithiforms on basis of the following unique combination of features: rostral part of ventral margin of dentary convex (absent in C. dui); surangular with a triangular ventral process (absent in C. dui); deltopectoral crest perforated by a suboval fenestra (considered absent in E. zhengi); proximal phalanx of major digit shorter than intermediate phalanx (opposite condition in Ch. hengdaoziensis); and hallux less than half the length of pedal digit II (proportionally shorter than in Ch. hengdaoziensis).

Measurements

No measurements are available

Composition:

hydroxyapatiteo

Entire body:

yeso

Adult length:

10 to < 100o

Adult width:

1.0 to < 10o

Adult height:

1.0 to < 10o

Architecture:

compact or denseo

Ontogeny:

accretion, modification of partso

Grouping:

solitaryo

Environment:

terrestrialo

Locomotion:

actively mobileo

Life habit:

ground dwellingo

Diet:

carnivoresubo

Reproduction:

oviparouso

Dispersal:

direct/internalo

Dispersal 2:

mobileo

Created:

2009-01-03 20:39:15

Modified:

2009-01-03 22:39:15

Source: subo = suborder, o = order

References: Marsh 1875, Benton 1983

Age range: base of the Aptian to the top of the Early/Lower Aptian or 125.00000 to 122.46000 Ma

Collections (7 total)

Time interval	Ma	Country or state	Original ID and collection number
Late/Upper Barremian - Early/Lower Aptian	130.0 - 122.46	China (Liaoning)	Confuciusornis feducciai (92626) Confuciusornis sanctus (type locality: 85298 224635) Confuciusornis sanctus, Confuciusornis suniae (50470) Jinzhouornis yixianensis (156032) Jinzhouornis zhangjiyingia (79522)
Aptian	125.0 - 113.0	China (Liaoning)	Confuciusornis jianchangensis (98449)