What is the holotype specimen ID for *Xiaotingia* found in the Tiaojishan Formation?
Answer
STM 27-2
The holotype specimen designated as STM 27-2 represents the articulated and nearly complete skeleton of *Xiaotingia* that was unearthed from the fossil beds located in the Tiaojishan Formation in western Liaoning Province, China. This specific specimen was crucial for the formal description of the genus published in 2011. The identification of this holotype is fundamental because it represents the physical evidence upon which all subsequent anatomical and phylogenetic analyses are based. Its completeness allowed paleontologists to study a wide array of its characteristics, which subsequently led to debates regarding its exact placement near the bird lineage.
Related Questions
What is the holotype specimen ID for *Xiaotingia* found in the Tiaojishan Formation?Who was the genus name *Xiaotingia* chosen to honor regarding the holotype specimen?During which geologic interval did *Xiaotingia* live, estimated around 165 to 153 million years ago?What modern bird is *Xiaotingia*'s estimated size comparable to, given its small stature?What specific type of feather impressions were noted on the tibia and metatarsus of *Xiaotingia*?How did the femur length compare to the humerus length in *Xiaotingia*'s potentially flight-related arm structure?Which superorder assignment consistently includes *Xiaotingia* within the hierarchy leading to birds?Which grouping did the initial 2011 analysis controversially position *Xiaotingia* and *Anchiornis* within?Which clade did Senter et al. (2012) suggest *Xiaotingia* was the most primitive member of in a revised analysis?What evolutionary concept describes the acquisition of bird traits independently across several closely related lineages like those in the Yanliao Biota?What cranial feature does *Xiaotingia*'s shallow snout align it morphologically closer to, rather than basal avialans like *Jeholornis*?