Serikornis
Small feathered dinosaur from the Jurassic of China.
Serikornis is a genus of small, feathered dinosaur belonging to the anchiornithid group, known from the Upper Jurassic Tiaojishan Formation in Liaoning, China. Its only recognized species is *Serikornis sungei*. Some researchers have proposed that Serikornis may actually be a junior synonym of *Anchiornis*.
The genus was first described in August 2017, based on a single complete articulated skeleton preserved on a slab with extensive integumentary structures. The holotype is notable for the variety of feather types it preserves: wispy bundles along the neck, short symmetrical vaned feathers on the arms, and both fuzz and long pennaceous feathers on the hindlimbs. The name "Serikornis" means "Ge Sun's silk bird," referring to the plumulaceous-like body covering in the fossil, while the specimen's nickname, "Silky," comes from the resemblance of its delicate hindlimb filaments to those of the modern Silky breed of domestic chicken.
Skeletal morphology suggests a terrestrial ecology, with no adaptations for flight. The tail is covered proximally by filaments and distally by fine rectrices. Symmetrical, barbule-free remiges are attached along the forelimbs, and elongated feathers on the hind limbs extend to the toes. This arrangement suggests that hindlimb remiges evolved in ground-dwelling maniraptorans before being co-opted for an arboreal lifestyle and possibly gliding. The coracoid lacks diagnostic ornamentation seen in *Anchiornis* but has an elongated tuberculous coracoid forming a crest. The postacetabular blade of the ilium is stouter and more squared than in *Anchiornis*, but less robust and quadrangular than in *Aurornis*. The ischium lacks the dorsocaudally straight morphology of *Aurornis* and has a narrow, unciform process. Serikornis is further distinguished by very large anterior maxillary teeth, about twice as long as the others. Because the skeleton is compressed on a plane, researchers used a microscan technique called luminography to identify a small pneumatic cavity in the cervical vertebrae, a derived condition shared by many coelurosaurian theropods.
In 2019, the validity of these distinguishing traits was questioned, with some researchers arguing they were misinterpreted or could represent intraspecific variation within *Anchiornis*, leading to the proposed synonymization.
Phylogenetic analysis by Lefèvre et al. (2017) placed Serikorni
- field
- Paleontology
- known_for
- Variety of feather types in its holotype; debated synonymy with Anchiornis
- period
- Upper Jurassic
- location
- Liaoning, China
Quick Facts
- Genus
- Serikornis
- Species
- sungei
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Serikornis was first described in August 2017, based on a single complete articulated skeleton preserved on a slab with extensive integumentary structures. The specimen's feather imprints include wispy bundles along the neck, short and symmetrical vaned feathers on the arms, and both fuzz and long pennaceous feathers on its hindlimbs. Its name means 'Ge Sun's silk bird', a reference to the plumulaceous-like body covering evident in the fossil, and its nickname 'Silky' refers to the resemblance of the hindlimb filaments to the modern Silky breed of domestic chicken.
Reader's Guide
Serikornis is significant for the variety of feather types preserved in its holotype, which includes wispy neck bundles, symmetrical vaned arm feathers, and both fuzz and long pennaceous hindlimb feathers. Its skeletal morphology suggests a terrestrial ecology without flying adaptations, and the elongated hindlimb feathers extending to the toes indicate that such feathers evolved in ground-dwelling maniraptorans before being co-opted for arboreal gliding. The genus has been placed within the cluster of feathered dinosaurs near the origin of avians, but its validity has been questioned: in 2019, supposed distinguishing traits were called into question as misinterpretations or intraspecific variation with respect to Anchiornis, leading some researchers to suggest synonymization. Its classification remains debated, with some analyses placing it as a basal paravian outside Eumaniraptora and others within the family Anchiornithidae.
Did You Know?
- Serikornis is known from a single complete articulated skeleton preserved on a slab with extensive integumentary structures.
- Its name means 'Ge Sun's silk bird', referring to the plumulaceous-like body covering in the fossil.
- The specimen's nickname 'Silky' comes from the resemblance of its hindlimb filaments to the modern Silky breed of domestic chicken.
- Some researchers consider Serikornis a junior synonym of Anchiornis.
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