#archaeorhynchus

[hacchigryphon]

Neutrois Archaeorhynchus and gendervoid Jamaican ibis wearing their null pride on their beaks!

[albertonykus]

A new specimen of Archaeorhynchus described in 2018 showed us that it had unusual tail feathers, so into the maniraptor tail chart it goes!

[a-dinosaur-a-day]

Archaeorhynchus spathula

By Scott Reid on @drawingwithdinosaurs

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Name: Archaeorhynchus spathula

Name Meaning: Ancient Beak

First Described: 2006

Described By: Zhou & Zhang

Classification: Dinosauria, Theropoda, Neotheropoda, Averostra, Tetanurae, Orionides, Avetheropoda, Coelurosauria, Tyrannoraptora, Maniraptoriformes, Maniraptora, Pennaraptora, Paraves, Eumaniraptora, Averaptora, Avialae, Euavialae, Avebrevicauda, Pygostylia, Ornithothoraces, Euornithes

Archaeorhynchus is a Euronithine from the Yixian Formation of China, living about 125 million years ago, in the Aptian age of the Early Cretaceous. It is known from multiple specimens and it had a beak like in modern birds, but given its early position in Euornithine evolution it did not evolve the same beak as in modern birds - meaning, the beak of Archaeorhynchus and the beaks of modern birds were evolved independently, and were not homologous. Archaeorhynchus had a wingspan of about 40 centimeters and total body length of 21 centimeters - it had a short tail and long, rounded wings. It also had a small head and short neck, and short and stocky legs. It was probably a terrestrial bird, hanging out at the waters edge and surface feeding water plants and larvae, sort of like modern ducks, and was probably mainly herbivorous due to its gizzard stones. 

Sources:

Martyniuk, M. P. 2012. A Field Guide to Mesozoic Birds and other Winged Dinosaurs. Pan Aves; Vernon, New Jersey.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archaeorhynchus

Shout out goes to @kungsy711!