Possible Middle Jurassic and Early Cretaceous records if Anchiornithids are a subfamily.
Berlin specimen of Archaeopteryx lithographica
Scientific classification
Domain:
Eukaryota
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Chordata
Clade:
Dinosauria
Clade:
Saurischia
Clade:
Theropoda
Clade:
Paraves
Family:
†Archaeopterygidae Huxley, 1871 (conserved name)
Type species
†Archaeopteryx lithographica
von Meyer, 1861 (conserved name)
Genera and possible subfamily[1]
†Archaeopteryx
†Wellnhoferia
†Anchiornithinae?
Synonyms
Archaeornithidae Petronievics 1925
Archaeopteridae (sic) Shufeldt 1903
Archornithidae Carus 1875[2]
Anchiornithidae? Xu et al. 2016
Archaeopterygidae is a group of paravian dinosaurs, known from the latest Jurassic and earliest Cretaceous of Europe. In most current classifications, it contains only the genera Archaeopteryx and Wellnhoferia. As its name suggests, Protarchaeopteryx was also once referred to this group, but most paleontologists now consider it an oviraptorosaur. Other referred genera, like Jurapteryx, Wellnhoferia, and "Proornis", are probably synonymous with Archaeopteryx (the former two) or do not belong into this group (the last). Jinfengopteryx was originally described as an archaeopterygid, though it was later shown to be a troodontid.[3][4][5] A few studies have recovered Anchiornis and Xiaotingia (usually considered part of a distinct clade, Anchiornithidae) to also be members of the Archaeopterygidae,[6] though most subsequent analyses have failed to arrive at the same result. Uncertainties still exist, however, and it may not be possible to confidently state whether archaeopterygids are more closely related to modern birds or to deinonychosaurs barring new and better specimens of relevant species.[7] Teeth attributable to archaeopterygids are known from the earliest Cretaceous (Berriasian) Cherves-de-Cognac locality and the Angeac-Charente bonebed of France.[8][9]
^Cau, Andrea (2020-02-25). "The body plan of Halszkaraptor escuilliei (Dinosauria, Theropoda) is not a transitional form along the evolution of dromaeosaurid hypercarnivory". PeerJ. 8: e8672. doi:10.7717/peerj.8672. ISSN 2167-8359. PMC 7047864. PMID 32140312.
^Brodkob, Pierce (1963). "Catalogue of fossil birds 1- Archaeopterygiformes through Ardeiformes". Biological Sciences, Bulletin of the Florida State Museum. 7 (4): 180–293. Retrieved 30 December 2015.
^Ji, Q.; Ji, S.; Lu, J.; You, H.; Chen, W.; Liu, Y. & Liu, Y. (2005). "First avialan bird from China (Jinfengopteryx elegans gen. et sp. nov.)". Geological Bulletin of China. 24 (3): 197–205.
^Chiappe, L.M. (2007) Glorified Dinosaurs: The Origin and Early Evolution of Birds. Sydney: UNSW Press. ISBN 0471247235.
^Turner, Alan H.; Pol, Diego; Clarke, Julia A.; Erickson, Gregory M.; Norell, Mark (2007). "A basal dromaeosaurid and size evolution preceding avian flight". Science. 317 (5843): 1378–1381. Bibcode:2007Sci...317.1378T. doi:10.1126/science.1144066. PMID 17823350.
^Cite error: The named reference Xiaotingia was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^Lee, M. S. Y. & Worthy, T. H. (2011). "Likelihood reinstates Archaeopteryx as a primitive bird". Biology Letters. 8 (2): 299–303. doi:10.1098/rsbl.2011.0884. PMC 3297401. PMID 22031726.
^Louchart, Antoine; Pouech, Joane (May 2017). "A tooth of Archaeopterygidae (Aves) from the Lower Cretaceous of France extends the spatial and temporal occurrence of the earliest birds". Cretaceous Research. 73: 40–46. Bibcode:2017CrRes..73...40L. doi:10.1016/j.cretres.2017.01.004.
^Ronan Allain, Romain Vullo, Lee Rozada, Jérémy Anquetin, Renaud Bourgeais, et al.. Vertebrate paleobiodiversity of the Early Cretaceous (Berriasian) Angeac-Charente Lagerstätte (southwestern France): implications for continental faunal turnover at the J/K boundary. Geodiversitas, Museum National d’Histoire Naturelle Paris, In press. ffhal-03264773f
Archaeopterygidae is a group of paravian dinosaurs, known from the latest Jurassic and earliest Cretaceous of Europe. In most current classifications...
a distinct family, a basal subfamily of Troodontidae, members of Archaeopterygidae, or an assemblage of dinosaurs that are an evolutionary grade within...
Archaeornithes. Due to the popularity of Archaeornithes as well as Archaeopterygidae being recognized as the only family in this clade, Sauriurae, Archaeornithes...
only slightly less likely than this hypothesis, and as likely as Archaeopterygidae and Troodontidae being sister clades. As in the wings of modern birds...
†Deinonychosauria (toe-clawed dinosaurs; may not form a natural group) †Archaeopterygidae (small, winged theropods or primitive birds) †Troodontidae (omnivores;...
†Oviraptorosauria (mostly toothless; their diet and lifestyle are uncertain) †Archaeopterygidae (small, winged protobirds) †Dromaeosauridae (small to medium-sized...
various phylogenetic positions, including close to Troodontidae or Archaeopterygidae. The results of the phylogenetic analyses by Xu et al. are shown in...
Archaeopteryx and Xiaotingia belonged to the Deinonychosauria in the clade Archaeopterygidae. This led to popular reports that "Archaeopteryx is no longer a bird"...
dromaeosaurid. All dromaeosaurids have also been referred to the family Archaeopterygidae by at least one author (which would, in effect, make Velociraptor...
have been exceptions. One study found Anchiornis to be a member of Archaeopterygidae, and it along with Archaeopteryx were considered more primitive than...
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