In Depth
Xiyunykus is a genus of alvarezsaurid dinosaur that lived in China during the early Cretaceous. In terms of alvarezsaur evolution, Xiyunykus shows an intermediate development between primitive ancestors and more developed descendents.
Care should be taken not to confuse the Xiyunykus with the similarly named alvarezsaur Xixianykus.
Further Reading
- Two early Cretaceous fossils document transitional stages in alvarezsaurian dinosaur evolution. - Current Biology 28:2853-2860. - X. Xu, J. Choiniere, Q.-W. Tan, R. B. J. Benson, J. Clark, C. Sullivan, Q. Zhao, F.-L. Han, Q.-Y. Ma, Y.-M. He, S. Wang, H. Xing & L. Tan - 2018.
