A New Enantiornithine Bird from the Early Cretaceous of Western Liaoning, China

Abstract. We describe a new enantiornithine bird, Huoshanornis huji gen. et sp. nov., from the Early Cretaceous Jiufotang Formation in Chaoyang, western Liaoning Province, China. This new bird is distinguished from other known enantiornithines in possessing a considerably reduced alular digit, a broad intermetacarpal space, a relatively long phalanx of the minor digit of the manus, and a remarkable triangular expansion at the distal end of the lateral trabecula of the sternum. The morphology of the manus may also suggest that at low flight speeds the new bird's maneuverability was exceptional.