New long-tailed pterosaurs (Wukongopteridae) from western Liaoning, China

Bibliographic Details
Title: New long-tailed pterosaurs (Wukongopteridae) from western Liaoning, China
Authors: Wang, Xiaolin, Kellner, Alexander W.A., Jiang, Shunxing, Cheng, Xin, Meng, Xi, Rodrigues, Taissa
Source: Anais da Academia Brasileira de Ciências. December 2010 82(4)
Publisher Information: Academia Brasileira de Ciências, 2010.
Publication Year: 2010
Subject Terms: Pterosauria, Wukongopteridae, Kunpengopterus, Darwinopterus, Liaoning, China
More Details: Two almost complete long-tailed pterosaurs from the Linglongta, Jianchang County, western Liaoning, China, are described and represent new taxa referred to the non-pterodactyloid clade Wukongopteridae. Kunpengopterus sinensis gen. et sp. nov. differs from other members of this clade mainly by the rounded posterior region of the skull, thick lacrimal process of the jugal and lack of a bony premaxillary crest. This species further shows a soft tissue crest above the frontal, a comparatively larger wing finger, and the proximal segment of the second pedal phalanx of the fifth toe shorter than in other wukongopterids. The second new species is referred to the genus Darwinopterus, D. linglongtaensis sp. nov. based on the posterior region of the skull. It further differs from other wukongopterid pterosaurs by the thin lacrimal process of the jugal, foramen on nasal process rounded, and by having the second pedal phalanx of the fifth toe less curved (115°). Several differences among the Wukongopteridae can be found in the dentition and the feet, suggesting that they might have occupied slightly different ecological niches. The long-tailed Changchengopterus pani is tentatively referred to this clade and new diagnosis for the wukongopterids Wukongopterus lii and Darwinopterus modularis is provided.
Document Type: article
File Description: text/html
Language: English
ISSN: 0001-3765
DOI: 10.1590/S0001-37652010000400024
Access URL: http://old.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0001-37652010000400024
Rights: info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
Accession Number: edssci.S0001.37652010000400024
Database: SciELO
More Details
ISSN:00013765
DOI:10.1590/S0001-37652010000400024
Published in:Anais da Academia Brasileira de Ciências
Language:English