Jibeinia
Encyclopedia
Jibeinia is a Genus
of enantiornithine bird. Only one species is known, Jibeinia luanhera. It is known from one holotype
fossil
found in the Liaoning
province, People's Republic of China
. This fossil is now lost. The holotype was, however, described and figured in detail by Hou (1997).
In the summer of 1993, the holotype was presented to engineer Li Pai of the Hebei Provincial Office of Geology by a local farmer. Li, along with Hou Linhai and Zhou Zhonghe, investigated the quarry from which it came, at the locality of the Dongtuyao brick factory, Northern Hebei Province, Linjituxiang Village. They determined that it was collected from the Yixian Formation
. However, later research into the geology of the area showed that it actually came from similarly-aged beds of the Huajiying Formation
.
J. luanhera was described from a nearly complete fossil. The fossil seems not to have ever received a catalog number, nor to have been accessioned by a museum.
in 2004. They noted that it was nearly exactly the same size as Jibeinia, and collected from the same locality. They noted several morphological similarities to Jibeinia, but that it also differed in some characters from the written description. They sought to compare the two specimens but learned from Dr. Hou in 2001 that the holotype Jibeinia had been lost, and existing casts were of too poor a quality to be decisive. Thus they conclude that it will be impossible to rule out the possibility that the two are the same species, and that Vescornis
is a junior synonym, unless the holotype of Jibeinia is rediscovered.
, which refers to one of the nine geographical divisions of ancient China. The species name is after the Luanhe River.
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
of enantiornithine bird. Only one species is known, Jibeinia luanhera. It is known from one holotype
Holotype
A holotype is a single physical example of an organism, known to have been used when the species was formally described. It is either the single such physical example or one of several such, but explicitly designated as the holotype...
fossil
Fossil
Fossils are the preserved remains or traces of animals , plants, and other organisms from the remote past...
found in the Liaoning
Liaoning
' is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the northeast of the country. Its one-character abbreviation is "辽" , a name taken from the Liao River that flows through the province. "Níng" means "peace"...
province, People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
. This fossil is now lost. The holotype was, however, described and figured in detail by Hou (1997).
In the summer of 1993, the holotype was presented to engineer Li Pai of the Hebei Provincial Office of Geology by a local farmer. Li, along with Hou Linhai and Zhou Zhonghe, investigated the quarry from which it came, at the locality of the Dongtuyao brick factory, Northern Hebei Province, Linjituxiang Village. They determined that it was collected from the Yixian Formation
Yixian Formation
The Yixian Formation is a geological formation in Jinzhou, Liaoning, People's Republic of China, that spans 11 million years during the early Cretaceous period...
. However, later research into the geology of the area showed that it actually came from similarly-aged beds of the Huajiying Formation
Huajiying Formation
The Huajiying Formation is a geological formation in Hebei, People's Republic of China. Known for its fossils including primitive birds, the age of the ormation is uncertain. It may represent an early portion of the Jehol Biota, dating to somewhere in the early Cretaceous or late Jurassic periods...
.
J. luanhera was described from a nearly complete fossil. The fossil seems not to have ever received a catalog number, nor to have been accessioned by a museum.
Possible synonyms
Zhang et al. described a new Enantiornithine named VescornisVescornis
Vescornis is a genus of enantiornithine bird. One species is named, V. hebeiensis. The holotype fossil is in the collection of the Nanjing Institute of Geology and Paleontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Its catalog number is CAGS 130722. The fossil was found in Early Cretaceous rocks first...
in 2004. They noted that it was nearly exactly the same size as Jibeinia, and collected from the same locality. They noted several morphological similarities to Jibeinia, but that it also differed in some characters from the written description. They sought to compare the two specimens but learned from Dr. Hou in 2001 that the holotype Jibeinia had been lost, and existing casts were of too poor a quality to be decisive. Thus they conclude that it will be impossible to rule out the possibility that the two are the same species, and that Vescornis
Vescornis
Vescornis is a genus of enantiornithine bird. One species is named, V. hebeiensis. The holotype fossil is in the collection of the Nanjing Institute of Geology and Paleontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Its catalog number is CAGS 130722. The fossil was found in Early Cretaceous rocks first...
is a junior synonym, unless the holotype of Jibeinia is rediscovered.
Etymology
The Genus name comes from a Latinized form of the Jebei region and the character JiJi
JI or Ji or ji may refer to:*-ji A suffix or postposition used with name or title to show respect in the Indian subcontinent* Ji , a Chinese surname used by kings in the Zhou Dynasty* Ji , from Zhou Dynasty, etc...
, which refers to one of the nine geographical divisions of ancient China. The species name is after the Luanhe River.