Liaoxiornis

Liaoxiornis is a genus of prehistoric bird that lived during the Early Cretaceous period, about 125 million years ago. Its fossils were discovered in Liaoning Province, China, which is where the genus name comes from.

Liaoxiornis belongs to the group of primitive birds known as enantiornithines, which were abundant during the Cretaceous period. Enantiornithines had a unique skeletal structure that differed from modern birds, including teeth in their beaks and claws on their wings. Liaoxiornis had a wingspan of about 50 centimeters (20 inches) and likely had a diet consisting of small insects and other invertebrates.

Fossils of Liaoxiornis have been found in the Yixian Formation, a geological formation in northeastern China that has yielded many well-preserved fossils of dinosaurs, birds, and other animals. Liaoxiornis is one of the many species of birds discovered in this region that have greatly expanded our knowledge of avian evolution during the Cretaceous period.