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.