Eoconfuciusornis fossil map
Where fossils of Eoconfuciusornis have been found, shown on the Earth as it looked about 130 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 130 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 | Prehistoric birds |
|---|---|
| Lived | 132.6–121.4 million years ago (Hauterivian to Barremian) |
| Periods | Cretaceous |
| Family | Confuciusornithidae |
| Named by | Zhang et al. 2008 |
| Fossil records | 1 occurrences at 1 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | China |
| Rock formations | Dabeigou |
About Eoconfuciusornis
Eoconfuciusornis a genus of extinct avialan that lived 131 Ma ago, in the Early Cretaceous of China. It is the oldest known bird to have a beak.
The type species of Eoconfuciusornis, Eoconfuciusornis zhengi, was named and described by Fucheng Zhang, Zhou Zhonghe and Michael Benton in 2008. The generic name combines a Greek ἠώς, eos, "dawn", with the name of the related genus Confuciusornis. The specific name honours Zheng Guangmei.
The holotype, specimen IVPP V11977, was found near Sichakou in Fengning in Hebei province. Its provenance the Sichakou Beds are part of the Dabeigou Formation which was seen by the describers as dating to the Hauterivian, and were thought to be about 131 million years old. The specimen consists of a compressed skeleton that is relatively complete and shows well conserved remains of most of the feathering.
Eoconfuciusornis was somewhat smaller than Confuciusornis, but otherwise very similar with a pointed toothless beak. Compared to the latter it had longer legs and lacked a pierced deltopectoral crest on the humerus.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Eoconfuciusornis (revision 1380750615), 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: Q18571784.
