Pronunciation: BAHN-jee
Meaning: Stripe-crested
Author/s: Xu and Han (2010)
Synonyms: None known
First Discovery: Jiangxi Province, China
Discovery Chart Position: #694
Banji long
In no way linked to a village in Iran that has the same name, Banji was donated to the Chinese Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology (IVPP) by an amateur collector who was a bit sheepish about having his identity revealed. So far as we know, there's nothing sinister about its acquisition, and the guy was a genuinely kind-hearted citizen. However, given the recent furore regarding the illegal sale of Chinese fossils we can understand his insistence on remaining anonymous. Who would want to run the risk of being tarred with the "fossil poacher" brush, right?
Banji is the 11th Asian member of Oviraptoridae — the short-snouted, toothless, so-called "egg snatchers" that probably weren't — but sports unique features in its skull, which is the only part currently known. Although its name means "striped-crest dragon" the striped crest of Banji is not on the top of its head like other oviraptorids, or at least on those that have one. Instead, it begins with a step in front of its eyes and runs to the tip of its upper jaw, forming the front part of a robust beak, in a style similar to modern Puffins. Its lower jaw is impressively deep too, especially in the mid-portion, and its nasal openings are unusually long, following the curve of the crest upwards, almost to the eye sockets.
Banji is the 11th Asian member of Oviraptoridae — the short-snouted, toothless, so-called "egg snatchers" that probably weren't — but sports unique features in its skull, which is the only part currently known. Although its name means "striped-crest dragon" the striped crest of Banji is not on the top of its head like other oviraptorids, or at least on those that have one. Instead, it begins with a step in front of its eyes and runs to the tip of its upper jaw, forming the front part of a robust beak, in a style similar to modern Puffins. Its lower jaw is impressively deep too, especially in the mid-portion, and its nasal openings are unusually long, following the curve of the crest upwards, almost to the eye sockets.
(Stripe-crested dragon)Etymology
Banji is derived from the Chinese "ban" (speckle, but can also be interpreted as striped) and "ji" (crest). In this case ban is interpreted as stripe and refers to the distinctive vertical striations on each side of its headcrest.
The species epithet, long, means "dragon" in Chinese.
Discovery
The remains of Banji were discovered in the Nanxiong Formation, Hongcheng Basin, near Ganzhou City, Jiangxi Province, China. The holotype (IVPP V16896, housed at Beijing's Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology) consists of a nearly complete skull and lower jaw belonging to a juvenile.
