# Parvavis > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Parvavis > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Parvavis.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parvavis > Source revision: 1351467642 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) Extinct genus of birds Parvavis Temporal range: Late Cretaceous Life reconstruction of Parvavis chuxiongensis Scientific classification Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Reptilia Clade: Dinosauria Clade: Saurischia Clade: Theropoda Clade: Avialae Clade: †Enantiornithes Genus: †Parvavis Wang et al., 2014 Species: †P. chuxiongensis Binomial name †Parvavis chuxiongensis Wang et al., 2014 ***Parvavis*** is a genus of [enantiornithean](/source/Enantiornithes) [bird](/source/Bird), known from the upper Cretaceous (Turonian–Santonian) of China in the [Jiangdihe Formation](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Jiangdihe_Formation&action=edit&redlink=1). The type and only species, *Parvavis chuxiongensis*, was recovered in Luojumei Village, Chuxiong City, Yunnan Province, southern China, and it was the only known Mesozoic bird from south China at the time of its discovery. Based on its bone structure, the holotype was determined to be nearly fully grown at its time of death and would have been smaller than *[Iberomesornis](/source/Iberomesornis)*, the smallest known enantiornithine prior to the description of *Parvavis*.[1] ## History of Discovery In 2010, the skeleton of a small bird was found near [Luojumei](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Luojumei&action=edit&redlink=1), a village close to the city of [Chuxiong](/source/Chuxiong_City) in the [Yunnan province](/source/Yunnan) of [China](/source/China), and in 2014 the type species *Parvavis chuxiongensis* was named and described by [Wang Min](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wang_Min_(palaeontologist)&action=edit&redlink=1), [Zhou Zhonghe](/source/Zhou_Zhonghe) and [Xu Guanghui](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Xu_Guanghui&action=edit&redlink=1). The [genus name](/source/Genus) is derived from the [Latin](/source/Latin) prefix “parvus”, which means small, and “avis” which means bird. The [specific name](/source/Specific_name_(zoology)) refers to the location where the fossil was found, near the city of Chuxiong. Parvavis is the first bird known from the [Upper-Cretaceous](/source/Late_Cretaceous) of China and the first [mesozoic](/source/Mesozoic) bird from Southern China.[1] The fossil, [holotype](/source/Holotype) **IVPP V18586/1**, was found in lake deposits of the [Jiangdihe formation](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Jiangdihe_formation&action=edit&redlink=1). It consists of a partially complete and articulated skeleton with parts of the skull and impressions of feathers on some of the rock. Of the spine, only the tail and pygostyle were preserved, and of the skull only the back. Furthermore, [histological](/source/Histology) research suggests the animal was close to adult size when it died, but that it was unusually small in size for an [enantiornithean](/source/Enantiornithes). This highlights the highly variable body sizes in this group of animals.[1] ## Description *Parvavis* is, like the genus name suggests, a small bird with a [wingspan](/source/Wingspan) of about 15 centimeters. Other than the wingspan, the descriptors of the animal managed to identify a couple of differentiating characteristics, like the fact that the bottom joint of the second [metatarsal](/source/Metatarsal_bones) is wider than those of the other metatarsals. The other two characteristics they identified are that the bottoms of the second and fourth metatarsals do not reach the hinge surfaces of the third metatarsal, and the fact that the [claw](/source/Claw) on the fourth toe is reduced.[1] The latter two characteristics aren't unique on their own, but they are unique in combination with the first one. ## Classification [Cladistic](/source/Cladistics) analyses put Parvavis in a relatively [basal](/source/Basal_(phylogenetics)) position within the Enantiornithes, outside [Longipterygidae](/source/Longipterygidae). This indicates that these basal forms existed for much longer than previously suspected.[1] ## References 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-:0_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-:0_1-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-:0_1-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-:0_1-3) [***e***](#cite_ref-:0_1-4) Wang, M.; Zhou, Z.; Xu, G. (2014). "The first enantiornithine bird from the Upper Cretaceous of China". *Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology*. **34** (1): 135–145. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1080/02724634.2013.794814](https://doi.org/10.1080%2F02724634.2013.794814). [ISSN](/source/ISSN_(identifier)) [0272-4634](https://search.worldcat.org/issn/0272-4634). v t e Enantiornithes Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Sauropsida Clade: Dinosauria Clade: Theropoda Clade: Ornithothoraces Avemetatarsalia see Avemetatarsalia Theropoda see Theropoda Maniraptora see Maniraptora Enantiornithes see below↓ Enantiornithes †Enantiornithes Abavornis Alethoalaornis Alexornis Avimaia Brevirostruavis Castignovolucris Catenoleimus Cathayornis Cratoavis Cruralispennia Cuspirostrisornis Dalingheornis Dapingfangornis Dunhuangia Elbretornis Elektorornis Elsornis Enantiornis Eoalulavis Eocathayornis Eoenantiornis Explorornis Falcatakely Feitianius Flexomornis Fortipesavis Fortunguavis Gobipipus Grabauornis Gracilornis Gurilynia Holbotia Houornis Huoshanornis Ilerdopteryx Imparavis Incolornis Junornis Kizylkumavis Kuszholia? Largirostrornis Lectavis Lenesornis Liaoningornis Liaoxiornis? Longchengornis Magnusavis Martinavis Microenantiornis Mirusavis Monoenantiornis Musivavis Nanantius Navaornis Novavis Orienantius Otogornis Paraprotopteryx Parvavis Piscivorenantiornis Platanavis? Praeornis? Protopteryx Pterygornis Qiliania Sazavis Shangyang Sinornis Xiangornis Yatenavis Yuanjiawaornis Yungavolucris Yuornis Iberomesornithidae Iberomesornis Noguerornis Pengornithidae Chiappeavis Eopengornis Parapengornis Pengornis Yuanchuavis Longipterygidae Boluochia Chromeornis Evgenavis? Gorgonavis? Longipteryx Longirostravis Rapaxavis Shanweiniao Bohaiornithidae Beiguornis Bohaiornis Gretcheniao Linyiornis Longusunguis Neobohaiornis Parabohaiornis Plumadraco Shenqiornis Sulcavis Zhouornis Gobipterygidae Gobipteryx Jibeinia? Vescornis? Avisauridae (sensu Cau & Arduini, 2008) Bauxitornis? Concornis? Enantiophoenix Halimornis Mystiornis Avisauridae (sensu Chiappe, 1992) Avisaurus Gettyia Intiornis Mirarce Neuquenornis Soroavisaurus Category Taxon identifiers Parvavis Wikidata: Q15880538 Wikispecies: Parvavis GBIF: 8465616 Paleobiology Database: 287261 --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Parvavis](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parvavis) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parvavis?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.