Parahongshanornis fossil map
Where fossils of Parahongshanornis 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 | 121.4–113.2 million years ago (Aptian) |
| Periods | Cretaceous |
| Family | Hongshanornithidae |
| Named by | Li et al. 2011 |
| Fossil records | 1 occurrences at 1 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | China |
| Rock formations | Jiufotang |
About Parahongshanornis
Parahongshanornis is an extinct genus of early bird from the lower Cretaceous (Aptian stage) of what is now Liaoning Province, north-eastern China.
Parahongshanornis was first named by Li Li, Wang Jingqi and Hou Shilin in 2011 and the type species is Parahongshanornis chaoyangensis. The generic name refers to an assumed close relationship with Hongshanornis. The specific name refers to Chaoyang.
Parahongshanornis is known from the holotype PMOL-AB00161, which was found near Yuanjiawa, Chaoyang, in the middle Aptian Jiufotang Formation of the Jehol Biota, about 120 million years old. It consists of a nearly complete and articulated skeleton missing the skull but showing remains of the soft parts of the body, including some feathering. Most of the vertebral column is obscured by the sternum and pelvis.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Parahongshanornis (revision 1376484239), 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: Q2603274.
