A new ctenochasmatid pterosaur from the Lower Cretaceous, western Liaoning, China

Abstract

A nearly complete skull of a new ctenochasmatid pterosaur, Pterofiltus qiui gen. et sp. nov., from the Lower Cretaceous deposits of Liaoning, China, is described here. The specimen (IVPP V12339), was collected from the shale of the lower Yixian Formation (125 Ma) at the Zhangjiagou locality. It has the following combination of characters: about 112 teeth in total (including the upper and lower jaws); the dentition occupies more than 50% of the skull length; the anterior teeth vary in size; the mandibular symphysis is longer than half of the whole mandible length; in ventral view, an apparent symphyseal trough in the median part of the symphysis.

Nanotechnology and lung diseases, caterpillars and agriculture, a new fossil turtle egg type from China, and a giant flying reptile from Gondwana

“…Pterosaurs are rare, and despite the fact that remains of these volant vertebrates have been retrieved from several deposits around the world in the last decade, particularly from China (e.g., Jiang et al 2011), most remains are quite fragmentary (e.g., O'Conner et al 2011). The new specimen presented in this issue of the AABC had a wingspan of over 8 m and belongs to the largest flying reptile from any Gondwanan deposit known so far (Kellner et al 2013).…”

The first pterosaur basihyal, shedding light on the evolution and function of pterosaur hyoid apparatuses

“…3E) (Wang et al, 2005), as well as in ctenochasmatid pterosaurs, such as Gegepterus (Fig. 3F) (Wang et al, 2007;Jiang & Wang, 2011a), and Pterofiltrus (Jiang & Wang, 2011b).…”

New Material of the Pterosaur Gladocephaloideus Lü et al., 2012 from the Early Cretaceous of Liaoning Province, China, with Comments on Its Systematic Position

“…Ctenochasmatoidea is a group of pterosaurs within the suborder Pterodactyloidea and has been defined as the clade containing Cycnorhamphus suevicus , Pterodaustro guinazui , their most recent common ancestor, and all of its descendants [ 1 ]. At present, although there are nine genera of ctenochasmatoids reported from the Jehol Biota: Eosipterus [ 2 ], Beipiaopterus [ 3 ], Feilongus [ 4 ], Cathayopterus [ 5 ], Gegepterus [ 6 – 7 ], Elanodactylus [ 8 – 9 ], Pterofiltrus [ 10 ], Gladocephaloideus [ 11 ] and Moganopterus [ 12 ], they are known from either skulls or a relatively complete postcranial skeletons but not both, making comparisons difficult. A new specimen of a nearly complete juvenile assigned to Gladocephaloideus from the Lower Cretaceous Jiufotang Formation of Sihedang, Lingyuan of Liaoning Province ( Fig 1 ) is therefore a significant addition as the most complete ctenocahsmatid yet recovered from this formation.…”