Cratoavis fossil map
Where fossils of Cratoavis have been found, shown on the Earth as it looked about 115 million years ago and on today’s map.
Dots are fossil collections recorded in the Paleobiology Database. The “then” view moves today’s fossil sites back to their positions 115 million years ago (the time slice nearest the median age of the fossils) using the Merdith et al. (2021) plate model; positions are approximate. Open on the timeline map →
| Group | Theropods |
|---|---|
| Lived | 119.57–113.2 million years ago (Aptian) |
| Periods | Cretaceous |
| Named by | Carvalho et al. 2015 |
| Fossil records | 1 occurrences at 1 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | Brazil |
| Rock formations | Crato |
About Cratoavis
Cratoavis is a genus of enantiornithines. The type and only currently described species is C. cearensis, from the Early Cretaceous of Araripe Basin, Ceará, Brazil. The fossil, an articulated skeleton with feathers attached to the wings and surrounding the body, extends considerably the temporal record of the group at South America.
The genus was named after the Crato Formation, in which the specimen was found. The holotype is associated with elements of at least two Dastilbe specimens, which were situated close to the region corresponding to the intestine and cecum. This indicates that these fish were probably contained within the digestive tract of Cratoavis, which would make the holotype preserving a direct evidence of piscivory (fish-eating).
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Cratoavis (revision 1291260708), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0; introduction excerpted verbatim, formatting removed. Ages, family, authority and fossil records: Paleobiology Database, accessed 23 October 2026. Ages are those of the rock layers the fossils were found in. Wikidata: Q20645262.
