Abstraktum Posted May 14, 2019 Share Posted May 14, 2019 A non-archaeopterygid avialan theropod from the Late Jurassic of southern Germany Exciting news from Munich and the famous Solnhofen area Everybody is familiar with Archaeopteryx, but according to a new paper published by the University in Munich, it had a brother who lived at the same time in the same area: Alcmonavis poeschli The Late Jurassic ‘Solnhofen Limestones’ are famous for their exceptionally preserved fossils, including the urvogel Archaeopteryx, which has played a pivotal role in the discussion of bird origins. Here we describe a new, non-archaeopterygid avialan from the Lower Tithonian Mörnsheim Formation of the Solnhofen Archipelago, Alcmonavis poeschli gen. et sp. nov. Represented by a right wing, Alcmonavis shows several derived characters, including a pronounced attachment for the pectoralis muscle, a pronounced tuberculum bicipitale radii, and a robust second manual digit, indicating that it is a more derived avialan than Archaeopteryx. Several modifications, especially in muscle attachments of muscles that in modern birds are related to the downstroke of the wing, indicate an increased adaptation of the forelimb for active flapping flight in the early evolution of birds. This discovery indicates higher avialan diversity in the Late Jurassic than previously recognized. Scientific paper (in English, no paywall) CLICK News from the LMU University in Munich (in German) CLICK 12 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpc Posted May 14, 2019 Share Posted May 14, 2019 Thanks for posting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SUPER BAT Posted May 14, 2019 Share Posted May 14, 2019 cool dino bird can it fly Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Kmiecik Posted May 14, 2019 Share Posted May 14, 2019 20 minutes ago, SUPER BAT said: cool dino bird can it fly Read the paragraph below the photo. The answer is there. Mark. Fossil hunting is easy -- they don't run away when you shoot at them! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DD1991 Posted May 14, 2019 Share Posted May 14, 2019 Alcmonavis is now the second non-Archaeopteryx paravian from the Solnhofen area, following recognition that the Haarlem specimen represents a distinct genus Ostromia. Given that Alcmonavis is recovered as more derived than Archaeopteryx, it is probable that Alcmonavis might be a jeholornithiform, considering that no basal avialan family known only from Early Cretaceous Liaoning has yet been found in latest Jurassic deposits. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caldigger Posted May 15, 2019 Share Posted May 15, 2019 I must say, it's not nearly as visually impressive compared to its more famous cousin. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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