Eoalulavis

Name: Eoalulavis ‭(‬dawn alula bird‭)‬.
Phonetic: E-oh-ah-lu-lay-viss.
Named By: J.‭ ‬L.‭ ‬Sanz,‭ ‬L.‭ ‬M.‭ ‬Chiappe,‭ ‬B.‭ ‬P.‭ ‬P�rez-Moreno,‭ ‬�ngela.‭ ‬D.‭ ‬Buscalioni,‭ ‬Jose J.‭ ‬Moratalla,‭ ‬Francisco Ortega‭ & ‬Francisco J.‭ ‬Poyato-Ariza.‭ ‬1996.
Classification: Chordata,‭ ‬Aves,‭ ‬Enantiornithes.
Species: E.‭ ‬hoyasi‭ (‬type‭)‬.
Diet: Carnivore/Piscivore‭?
Size: Wingspan estimated to be about 26 centimetres across..
Known locations: Spain‭ ‬-‭ ‬La Hu�rguina Formation.
Time period: Late Barrremian of the Cretaceous.
Fossil representation: Partial post cranial remains.

       Eoalulavis was the first Mesozoic bird known to have had an alula,‭ ‬more commonly known as a bastard wing.‭ ‬The alula is a small extension to the anterior‭ (‬front‭) ‬edge of the wing that serves as an attachment point for a few additional small flight feathers.‭ ‬When extended,‭ ‬the alula both increased low speed flight manoeuvrability as well as reducing the actual stall speed so that the bird can slow down for a softer and more precise landing.‭ ‬All modern birds possess an alula on each wing,‭ ‬and while there have been several theories alluding to the development of the alula,‭ ‬the most likely which has the most support from current fossil evidence is that the alula evolved in the enantiornithes birds like Eoalulavis.‭

Further reading
-‭ ‬An Early Cretaceous bird from Spain and its implications for the evolution of avian flight‭ ‬-‭ ‬Jose L.‭ ‬Sanz,‭ ‬Luis M.‭ ‬Chiappe,‭ ‬Bernardino P.‭ ‬P�rez-Moreno,‭ ‬Angela D.‭ ‬Buscalioni,‭ ‬J.‭ ‬J.‭ ‬Moratalla,‭ ‬F.‭ ‬Ortega‭ & ‬F.‭ ‬J.‭ ‬Poyato-Ariza.‭ ‬1996.
- Flight reconstruction of two European enantiornithines (Aves, Pygostylia) and the achievement of bounding flight in Early Cretaceous birds. - Palaeontology. 61 (3): 359–368. - Francisco J. Serrano, Luis M. Chiappe, Paul Palmqvist, Borja Figueirido, Jes�s Marug�n-Lob�n & Jos� L. Sanz - 2018.



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