Liaoxiornis delicatus gen. et sp. nov., the smallest Mesozoic bird

Recently, a very small and complete bird specimen was collected from the Confuciu-sorn/s-bearing Yixian Formation. This finding represents a new kind of Mesozoic bird, named Liaoxiornis delicatus. It is characterized by a short skull with teeth, a long neck and a very small sternum with only posterior process; the humeral head is not internally curved, and the hindlimbs are longer than the forelimbs. Liaoxiornis delicatus is not only much...