"Proornis"

"Proornis" is an extinct genus of basal bird from the Early Cretaceous (Barremian, 130-125 mya) Gyeongsang Supergroup of northernmost North Korea. Since it was never formally described in a peer-reviewed journal, the genus is considered a nomen nudum. A single species, "Proornis coreae", is known.

Fossil remains of this animal, discovered in 1993 in Sinuiju series deposits at Sinuiju-si, consist of a skull, a few cervical vertebrae and a forelimb with feathers. Confuciusornis-like features include the finger bones proportionately shorter than the metacarpals, unlike in Archaeopteryx (Lee et al. 2001). Also, the first phalanx of digit III is much shorter than the remaining phalanges, and the claw of digit II is smaller than that of digit III.

Proornis is classified in the enigmatic family Proornithidae, which contains a few other genera of primitive birds from the Late Cretaceous. The family is considered to be an important group in the early evolution of birds, and it has provided important insights into the origins of flight and other key adaptations that allowed birds to diversify and become one of the most successful groups of animals on the planet.