In Depth
Known from a single juvenile preserved on a slab, Zhongornis has been seen as an intermediary form between more primitive forms like Archaeopteyx which have long bony tails, and more advanced forms like Confuciusornis which had shorter bony tails.
Further Reading
- A new basal lineage of Early Cretaceous birds from China and its implications on the evolution of the avian tail. - Palaeontology 51(4):775-791. - C. Gao, L. M. Chiappe, Q. Meng, J. K. O’Connor, X. Wang, X. Cheng & J. Liu - 2008.
