Soroavisaurus
Encyclopedia
Soroavisaurus australis was an enantiornithine bird related to Avisaurus
. It lived during the Late Cretaceous
of Argentina.
S. australis is known from fossil
s collected from the Lecho Formation
(Maastrichtian
age) of Estancia El Brete, in the southern tip of the province of Salta
, Argentina
. The specimens are in the collection of the Fundacion-Instituto Miguel Lillo, Tucaman. They are cataloged as PVL-4690, a 46.9 mm — long left tarsometatarsus
, and PVL-4048, which includes another left tarsometatarsus
, 51.5mm long and associated with the whole hallux
, or digit I, and four intermediate phalanges. PVL-4048 was previously described as "Avisaurus sp." (see Avisaurus
).
S. australis is presently the only known species
of the genus
Soroavisaurus.
S. australis is in the family Avisauridae
, along with Avisaurus
and Neuquenornis
.
Avisaurus
Avisaurus is a genus of enantiornithine bird from the Late Cretaceous of North America.Two species are known; the type species A. archibaldi and A. gloriae...
. It lived during the Late Cretaceous
Late Cretaceous
The Late Cretaceous is the younger of two epochs into which the Cretaceous period is divided in the geologic timescale. Rock strata from this epoch form the Upper Cretaceous series...
of Argentina.
S. australis is known from fossil
Fossil
Fossils are the preserved remains or traces of animals , plants, and other organisms from the remote past...
s collected from the Lecho Formation
Lecho Formation
The Lecho Formation is a geological formation in Argentina whose strata date back to the Late Cretaceous. Dinosaur remains are among the fossils that have been recovered from the formation....
(Maastrichtian
Maastrichtian
The Maastrichtian is, in the ICS' geologic timescale, the latest age or upper stage of the Late Cretaceous epoch or Upper Cretaceous series, the Cretaceous period or system, and of the Mesozoic era or erathem. It spanned from 70.6 ± 0.6 Ma to 65.5 ± 0.3 Ma...
age) of Estancia El Brete, in the southern tip of the province of Salta
Salta
Salta is a city in northwestern Argentina and the capital city of the Salta Province. Along with its metropolitan area, it has a population of 464,678 inhabitants as of the , making it Argentina's eighth largest city.-Overview:...
, Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
. The specimens are in the collection of the Fundacion-Instituto Miguel Lillo, Tucaman. They are cataloged as PVL-4690, a 46.9 mm — long left tarsometatarsus
Tarsometatarsus
The tarsometatarsus is a bone that is found in the lower leg of certain tetrapods, namely birds.It is formed from the fusion of several bones found in other types of animals, and homologous to the mammalian tarsal and metatarsal bones...
, and PVL-4048, which includes another left tarsometatarsus
Tarsometatarsus
The tarsometatarsus is a bone that is found in the lower leg of certain tetrapods, namely birds.It is formed from the fusion of several bones found in other types of animals, and homologous to the mammalian tarsal and metatarsal bones...
, 51.5mm long and associated with the whole hallux
Hallux
In tetrapods, the hallux is the innermost toe of the foot. Despite its name it may not be the longest toe on the foot of some individuals...
, or digit I, and four intermediate phalanges. PVL-4048 was previously described as "Avisaurus sp." (see Avisaurus
Avisaurus
Avisaurus is a genus of enantiornithine bird from the Late Cretaceous of North America.Two species are known; the type species A. archibaldi and A. gloriae...
).
S. australis is presently the only known species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
of the genus
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...
Soroavisaurus.
S. australis is in the family Avisauridae
Avisauridae
The Avisauridae are a family of extinct Enantiornithine birds known from Cretaceous North and South America. They are represented by eight genera.Avisauridae was erected by Brett-Surman and Paul in 1985...
, along with Avisaurus
Avisaurus
Avisaurus is a genus of enantiornithine bird from the Late Cretaceous of North America.Two species are known; the type species A. archibaldi and A. gloriae...
and Neuquenornis
Neuquenornis
Neuquenornis volans was an enantiornithine bird which lived during the Late Cretaceous in today's Patagonia, Argentina. It is presently the only known species of the genus Neuquenornis. Its fossils were found in the Santonian Bajo de la Carpa Formation, dating from about 85-83 million years ago....
.