Meemannavis

Meemannavis (meaning "Meemann’s bird") is a genus of ornithuromorph dinosaurs from the Early Cretaceous (Aptian) Xiagou Formation of Gansu Province, China. The genus contains a single species, Meemannavis ductrix, known from a partial skeleton including an incomplete skull and cervical and thoracic vertebrae. The lower jaw and tip of the upper jaw of the Meemannavis holotype are toothless, but it may have had teeth nearer the back of the upper jaw.^[1]

Meemannavis Temporal range: Early Cretaceous, Aptian (~125–113 Ma)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Clade:	Dinosauria
Clade:	Saurischia
Clade:	Theropoda
Clade:	Avialae
Clade:	Euornithes
Clade:	Ornithuromorpha
Genus:	†Meemannavis O' Connor et al., 2021
Species:	†M. ductrix
Binomial name
†Meemannavis ductrix O'Connor et al., 2021

Naming

The generic name, "Meemannavis," combines a reference to Meemann Chang, a Chinese paleontologist, with the Latin "avis," meaning "bird." The specific name, "ductrix," is derived from the Latin "ductor," meaning "leader," in reference to Chang's position as the first female director of the IVPP.^[1]