Elektorornis fossil map
Where fossils of Elektorornis have been found, shown on the Earth as it looked about 100 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 100 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 | 100.5–93.9 million years ago (Cenomanian) |
| Periods | Cretaceous |
| Named by | Xing et al. 2019 |
| Fossil records | 1 occurrences at 1 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | Myanmar |
| Rock formations | txn:NF |
About Elektorornis
Elektorornis (lit. 'amber bird') is an extinct genus of enantiornithean bird from the Late Cretaceous of Myanmar. The genus contains a single species, Elektorornis chenguangi, known from a partial hindlimb and a small amount of wing plumage preserved in amber. In life, it would have been slightly smaller than a sparrow and possibly used its characteristically elongated middle toe to probe for food. Elektorornis chenguangi is the first bird species described from remains found in Burmese amber, although other undiagnostic enantiornithean specimens have previously been found.
Alexander D. Clark and Jingmai O'Connor (2021) observed that extant animals with similar probing structures consistently have additional anatomical traits that allow the animal to penetrate a hard substrate, such as wood. The researchers concluded that Elektorornis likely would have had an edentulous (toothless) beak to pry or gouge into wood, allowing it to use its uniquely elongated toe to acquire prey. If the genus did have teeth, they were likely restricted to the back part of the mouth.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Elektorornis (revision 1376137448), 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: Q66057522.
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