Explorornis fossil map
Where fossils of Explorornis have been found, shown on the Earth as it looked about 85 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 85 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 | 93.9–89.8 million years ago (Turonian) |
| Periods | Cretaceous |
| Family | Alexornithidae |
| Named by | Panteleyev 1998 |
| Fossil records | 3 occurrences at 1 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | Uzbekistan |
| Rock formations | Bissekty |
About Explorornis
Explorornis ("discovered bird", from Latin explōrō "to discover" and Ancient Greek ornis (όρνις) "bird") is a genus of Mesozoic birds which lived during the mid-late Turonian stage, around 90 million years ago, in the Bissekty Formation of the Kyzyl Kum, in present-day Uzbekistan.
E. walkeri (specimen PO 4825) was originally placed in Enantiornis, but the description of the type species E. nessovi (PO 4819), showed that it was not congeneric with the South American Enantiornis, which makes far more sense considering biogeography and age. The two species are named after famous paleontologists: Lev Alexandrovich Nesov (1947–1995) and Alick Donald Walker.
These were all smallish birds, maybe 15–20 cm long in life, except E. walkeri which was probably more than 25 cm long.
Since only the coracoids are known, the phylogenetic position of these taxa is somewhat unresolved. While they do resemble the more advanced Enantiornithes more than they do any other bird, confirmation of their placement with Euenantiornithes would still require more material.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Explorornis (revision 1282410383), 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: Q5421421.
