An extinct genus of small, early birds from the Cretaceous period, showing primitive features intermediate between dinosaurs and modern birds.
From Greek 'apator' (fatherless, possibly alluding to unclear evolutionary relationships) plus 'ornis' (bird), a scientific name reflecting uncertainty about its classification.
Apatornis is one of those fossil birds that paleontologists struggle to place in the evolutionary tree—it's primitive enough to be confusing about which lineage it belongs to.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.