Anchiornis is a
genus of small, feathered,
eumaniraptoran dinosaurs. The genus
Anchiornis contains only the
type species Anchiornis huxleyi. It was named in honor of
Thomas Henry Huxley, an early proponent of biological
evolution, and one of the first to propose a close evolutionary relationship between birds and dinosaurs. The generic name
Anchiornis means "near bird", and its describers cited it as important in filling a gap in the transition between the body plans of
birds and dinosaurs.