Petrodactyle wellnhoferi gen. et sp. nov.: A new and large ctenochasmatid pterosaur from the Late Jurassic of Germany

Abstract

The Solnhofen archipelago of southern Germany has produced hundreds of fossils of pterosaurs in the last 250 years. In addition to recent descriptions and taxonomic revisions of existing specimens, new fossils continue to be uncovered and this includes important new material. In this paper we describe a mostly complete specimen of a ctenochasmatid pterosaur, which is one of the largest known pterosaurs from the Solnhofen area and one of the largest pterodactyloids in the Jurassic (wingspan estimated at c. 2.1 m). It also has one of the largest bony crests of any Jurassic pterosaur, and also has an unusual combination of short and spike-like teeth with an expanded frontoparietal crest that would have given it a strong bite despite the long and low skull. The nature of the specimen, mostly complete but almost entirely disarticulated, is unusual for the region. Despite well over two centuries of discovery, new pterosaurs continue to be discovered in these critical deposits that add to our knowledge of their diversity and ecology.