Pronunciation: PROH-to-AY-vis
Meaning: First bird
Author/s: Chatterjee (1984)
Synonyms: None known
First Discovery: Texas, USA
Discovery Chart Position: #360
Protoavis texensis
The problem with Protoavis, and it's quite a big one, is that its Triassic-aged bones don't seem to belong to a single critter or even a single species. A jumbled mess containing what appear to be the remains of coelurosaurs, drepanosaurids, and various relatives of Coelophysis prompt cries of "chimera!" from almost all palaeontologists. Apart, that is, from Sankar Chatterjee, who refers to Protoavis as "the first bird" and champions its importance in understanding the origin and evolution of our feathered friends.
We can't help feeling that old Sankar is a little biased. It's his discovery, after all. But even Sterling Nesbitt, who is renowned for cleaning up messy taxa, would only commit to "non-tetanuran theropod in part" in his critical re-evaluation of Triassic dinosaurs, and point-blank refused to discuss some of its remains pending a thorough review. Presumably, he doesn't fancy that job himself, which tells its own story.
We can't help feeling that old Sankar is a little biased. It's his discovery, after all. But even Sterling Nesbitt, who is renowned for cleaning up messy taxa, would only commit to "non-tetanuran theropod in part" in his critical re-evaluation of Triassic dinosaurs, and point-blank refused to discuss some of its remains pending a thorough review. Presumably, he doesn't fancy that job himself, which tells its own story.
(First bird from Texas)Etymology
Protoavis is derived from Greek "protos" (first) and the Latin "avis" (bird). The species epithet, texensis, means "from Texas" in Latin.
Discovery
The first remains that were assigned to Protoavis, were discovered in the Bull Canyon Formation at Post, Texas, by Sankar Chaterjee in 1984.The holotype (TTUP 9200) is a partial skull and bits of skeleton. Remains have been assigned here from the Tecovas: a Texas formation that has also yielded fossils of Chindesaurus and Tecovasaurus.
