<p> The Sapeomithidae are a unique and poorly understood clade of Early Cretaceous birds from the Jehol Group of Liaoning Province, China. Four species of sapeomithids are known: <i>Sapeornis chaoyangensis, Didactylornis jii, Sapeornis angus tis</i>, and <i>Shenshiornis primita</i>. <i>Omnivoropteryx sinousaorum</i> is allied with sapeomithids, although its nomenclature remains a source of contention. The validity of these taxa is challenged via an in-depth anatomical revision and morphometric analyses involving 18 specimens of sapeomithids, including the aforementioned holotypes. The results reveal that the only anatomical difference separating each species is size, implying a growth series trend among the specimens. This provides clear evidence that these species are junior synonyms of <i>Sapeornis chaoyangensis</i>. In addition, critical anatomical descriptions previously unknown for these specimens expand our knowledge of this clade, paving the way for future anatomical and phylogenetic studies of this enigmatic avian taxon.</p>
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:PROQUEST/oai:pqdtoai.proquest.com:1527574 |
| Date | 18 April 2014 |
| Creators | Pomeroy, Diana L. |
| Publisher | California State University, Long Beach |
| Source Sets | ProQuest.com |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | thesis |
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