🎨 RestorationRestoration: Matt Martyniuk · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons Source
Life restorations are artistic reconstructions based on fossil evidence; true coloration and soft-tissue details remain uncertain.
Confuciusornis
Confuciusornis sanctus (Confuciusornis · Confuciusornis)
Known only from fossils. The IUCN Red List assesses only species extant since 1500 CE, so fossil taxa are not assigned a category.
💡 Everyday Comparisons for Size, Mass & Speed
- 💡 An estimated body length of about 0.3 m (representative value for the genus) is the same length as a single 30 cm student ruler (Comparison).
- 💡 The name "Confucius bird" was taken from the Chinese philosopher Confucius.
Reference standards: coach bus ~12 m, mid-size car ~4.9 m, compact car ~1 t, basketball hoop 3.05 m, credit card 8.56 cm.
📖 1. Overview
Confuciusornis sanctus (genus Confuciusornis) was an early bird that lived in China during the Early Cretaceous, and its name means "Confucius bird." It was a small bird with a body length of about 0.3 m.
🦴 2. Anatomy & Morphology
It belongs to the early bird group (Avialae), and its body length is recorded as about 0.3 m. This source does not list information on its weight or teeth.
🔍 3. Fossil Record & Paleoecology
It is classified as carnivorous and lived in China during the Early Cretaceous (about 127–121 million years ago). Chinese researchers named it in 1995.
🇰🇷 4. Connection to Korea
No direct record connecting this species to Korea has been found.
📚 Sources & References
- • Fossil taxon — the IUCN Red List assesses only species living or extinct since 1500
- • paleobiodb.org — basicTaxonInfo
- • wikidata.org — Q21352081
- • commons.wikimedia.org — File:Confuciusornis male.jpg
- • nhm.ac.uk — confuciusornis.html
- • Silhouette: PhyloPic — Scott Hartman · CC BY 3.0
Recorded dimensions are widely cited representative estimates from public literature and may vary by study or specimen.