Ichthyornis

Ichthyornis is an extinct genus of toothed seabirds from the Late Cretaceous of North America. Its fossils combine a modern-looking flight apparatus with teeth and other ancestral traits.

Avialae: Avialae is the group of theropod dinosaurs that includes modern birds and their closest extinct relatives. Ichthyornis belongs to this bird-line dinosaur group.
Flight in birds: Bird flight is powered aerial locomotion driven by flapping wings and supported by specialized anatomy. Ichthyornis had a strong flight apparatus despite retaining ancestral features.
Othniel Charles Marsh: Othniel Charles Marsh was an American paleontologist who described many Cretaceous vertebrate fossils. Marsh named Ichthyornis from fossils found in Kansas.
Ichthyornis dispar: Ichthyornis dispar is the type species of the extinct seabird genus Ichthyornis. It anchors the genus's original identification and much of its fossil record.
Ornithurae: Ornithurae is a bird group that includes modern birds and extinct relatives with a more modern body plan. Ichthyornis is a key early member of the group containing living birds.
Carina (sternum): The carina is the projecting keel of a bird's sternum, where major flight muscles attach. Its developed flight-muscle attachment indicates powerful flapping ability.
Niobrara Formation: The Niobrara Formation is a Late Cretaceous marine rock unit exposed in the central United States. Its deposits yielded important Ichthyornis fossils.
Ichthyornis anatomy: Ichthyornis anatomy is known from fossil bones showing a toothed jaw and a birdlike flight skeleton. Its skeletal combination is the genus's defining evidence.
Hesperornithes: Hesperornithes is a group of extinct, mostly flightless aquatic birds from the Cretaceous. They provide a close comparison for another Cretaceous seabird lineage.
Pectoral girdle: The pectoral girdle is the set of bones that supports the forelimbs and connects them to the trunk. Its shoulder bones help assess the animal's capacity for powered flight.

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