Serikornis

Phylogeny: Dinosauria > Saurischia > Theropoda > Neotheropoda > Tetanurae > Avetheropoda > Coelurosauria > Maniraptora > Pennaraptora > Paraves > Anchiornithidae

Overview: The casual modern observer would probably mistake Serikornis for a bird at first sight. It certainly shared a lot in common with one, with direct fossil evidence revealing that its body was covered in various types of feathers. Key differences, however, included its long and bony tail, the teeth lining its jaws, lack of a beak and distinct clawed digits on each of its hands. Phylogenetically, Serikornis was closely related to modern birds, belonging to the clade Paraves, which also contains the dromaeosaurid “raptor” dinosaurs and the troodontid family. Serikornis, usually, is classified as a member of the family Anchiornithidae. Other notable anchiornithids includes Aurornis, Xiaotingia, Eosinopteryx and Anchiornis, the family’s namesake. This particular family saw its greatest success in the Late Jurassic, primarily in what is now the northeast of China.

Serikornis is based on some decently preserved remains. Its holotype specimen was unearthed from the rocks of the Tiaojishan Formation, in China’s Liaoning Province. This dates the creature to around one hundred and sixty million years ago, or towards the start of the Late Jurassic. Fossilized remains from the Tiaojishan are often very well preserved, with many small theropods being found with feather impressions around the body. This was the case with Serikornis, showing it had long wing feathers on the arms and simpler, filamentous feathers over most of its body. Fluffy feathers were particularly notable on the legs, covering much of their length. This invokes the image of modern Silkie chickens, which inspired the creature’s generic name, meaning “silk bird”. Serikornis likely fed upon insects and small reptiles. Some believe it is actually the same genus as Anchiornis.