Ornithurans facts for kids

Ornithurae (say "Or-ni-THUR-ay") is a special group of animals. Its name means 'bird tails' in Greek. This group includes all modern birds you see today. It also includes some of their relatives that are now extinct, like †Ichthyornis, †Hesperornithes, and †Limenavis. These ancient birds had a unique bone at the end of their tail called a pygostyle. This bone helped them fan out and pull in their tail feathers, just like modern birds do.

One of the oldest known members of the Ornithurae group is Gansus. This bird lived about 110 million years ago during the Lower Cretaceous period in China.

What are Ornithurae?

Ornithurae is a scientific way to group birds and their closest extinct relatives. It's like a big family tree. All members of this group share a common ancestor. This means they all came from the same ancient bird-like creature.

Key Features of Ornithurae

The most important feature of Ornithurae is their special tail bone, the pygostyle. This bone is shaped like a plow. It helps birds control their tail feathers very well. This control is important for flying, steering, and landing. It also helps them show off their feathers.

Another feature is their advanced flight abilities. Many Ornithurae, both ancient and modern, were excellent flyers. Their bodies were built for efficient movement through the air.

The Bird Family Tree

Scientists classify living things into groups to understand how they are related. Here is a simple way to look at the Ornithurae group within the larger bird family:

• Birds
  • Ornithurae
    • Neornithes: This group includes all modern birds. They are the descendants of the most recent common ancestor of all living birds. This means every bird alive today belongs to the Neornithes group.
      • Palaeognathae: This smaller group includes tinamous and all flightless ratites. Examples are ostriches, emus, and kiwis.
      • Neognathae: This is the largest group. It includes all other modern birds that are not Palaeognathae. Most birds you know, like sparrows, eagles, and penguins, are in this group.

Ancient Ornithurae

The earliest known Ornithurae, like Gansus, lived a very long time ago. They show us how birds started to develop their modern features. These ancient birds often lived near water. They had features that helped them swim or dive, as well as fly. Studying their fossils helps scientists learn about the evolution of birds.

Life in the Cretaceous Period

The Lower Cretaceous period, when Gansus lived, was a time when dinosaurs were still common. The Earth's climate was warmer than today. There were many different types of plants and animals. Birds like Gansus were part of this ancient ecosystem. They likely ate small fish or insects, just like many modern water birds.

See also

In Spanish: Ornithurae para niños