Large fossil birds from a Late Cretaceous marine turbidite sequence on Hornby Island (British Columbia)

摘要

Few fossil birds and non-avian dinosaurs are known from Mesozoic sediments bordering the eastern margin of the Pacific Ocean. Here, we describe additional remains of Late Cretaceous birds from a deep-water marine turbidite sequence of the Northumberland Formation exposed on Hornby Island, British Columbia. The bones described here are referable (based on hypothesized autapomorphies) to the Cretaceous avian lineages Enantiornithes and Ornithurae and fall into at least two size classes within either lineage. This suggests the presence of multiple taxa occurring within the Northumberland Formation.