| Ichthyornis |
Articles about Ichthyornis |
Information AboutIchthyornis |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT ICHTHYORNIS | |
| cretaceous birds | |
| genera of birds | |
| ichthyornithes | |
''Ichthyornis'' is a genus of bird from the Late Cretaceous of North America . It is known from the Upper Cretaceous chalks of Alberta , Alabama , Kansas , New Mexico , Saskatchewan and Texas , which were laid down in the Western Interior Seaway ; some fossils from other locations like Argentina and Central Asia are sometimes referred to this taxon. It is thought that ''Ichthyornis'' may have been the Cretaceous equivalent of modern seabirds such as Gulls , Petrels and Skimmers . Although the wings and breastbone are very modern in appearance (suggesting strong flight ability), the jaws retained numerous small, sharp teeth. It was first discovered in 1870 . Othniel Charles Marsh 's (1880) monograph on " Odontornithes " remains the most important reference on this animal. Of the several described species, only one, '' I. Dispar '', is currently recognized (Clarke, 2004). However, many bird species show little difference in their skeletons, and the ''Ichthyornis'' material comes from a wide range of strata, so possibly more than one species existed. ''Ichthyornis'' is close to the ancestry of modern birds, the Neornithes . It was long believed that ''Ichthyornis'' was closely related to some other Cretaceous taxa known from very fragmentary remains - '' Ambiortus , Apatornis '' (including the now separated '' Iaceornis '') and '' Guildavis '' - but these seem to be closer still to the ancestors of modern birds. New data on the radiation of the latter, which is now known to have started already in the Cretaceous (see '' Vegavis ''), could shed more light on the exact relationship of these taxa. Following Clarke (2004), the former Order ''Ichthyornithiformes'' and the Family ''Ichthyornithidae'' are now superceded by the Subclass ''Ichthyornithes''. REFERENCES
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