Pterosaur diversity and faunal turnover in Cretaceous terrestrial ecosystems in China

Abstract

New specimens and an analysis of the Jehol pterosaur faunae of northeastern China show an unexpected diversity of flying reptile groups in terrestrial Cretaceous ecosystems. Here we report two new pterosaurs that are referred to European groups previously unknown in deposits of northeastern China. Feilongus youngi, from the Yixian Formation, is closely related to the Gallodactylidae and is distinguished by the presence of two independent sagittal crests and a protruding upper jaw. Nurhachius ignaciobritoi, from the Jiufotang Formation, has teeth formed by labiolingually compressed triangular crowns, only previously reported in Istiodactylus latidens from England. With these new discoveries, the Jehol pterosaurs show a wide range of groups including both primitive and derived forms that are not matched by any other deposit in the world. The discoveries also document the turnover of pterosaur faunae, with the primitive Anurognathidae and early archaeopterodactyloids being replaced by derived pterodactyloids. Furthermore, these deposits offer an opportunity to examine the interaction and competition between birds and pterosaurs--it indicates that the avian fauna during the Lower Cretaceous (and possibly most of the Mesozoic) dominated terrestrial, inland regions, whereas pterosaurs were more abundant in coastal areas.

Discovery of a rare arboreal forest-dwelling flying reptile (Pterosauria, Pterodactyloidea) from China

“…4), Nemicolopterus crypticus lacks the rounded posterior region of the skull and the elongated midcervical vertebrae that diagnose this group. It has the posterior part of the skull elongated but lacks any crest such as the laterally compressed parietal crest present in Feilongus and the Gallodactylidae (4,9). Nemicolopterus crypticus shows a nasal process, but this structure differs from the archaeopterodactyloid condition by being placed medially but not laterally.…”

“…egarded as the first vertebrate group fully adapted to a powered flight (1,2), pterosaurs show a rather sparse record that is strongly biased toward ancient coastal environments, and true habitants of inland regions are extraordinarily rare (3,4). One exception is the Jehol Group, whose fossil deposits have revealed a magnificent quantity of well preserved material that is shaping our understanding of the evolution of several groups of vertebrates (5,6).…”

Comments on the Pteranodontidae (Pterosauria, Pterodactyloidea) with the description of two new species

“…Nowadays most authors consider Nyctosaurus to be part of the clade Nyctosauridae (e.g., Bennett 1989, Wellnhofer 1991, Kellner 2003, Frey et al 2006. Bennett (1989Bennett ( , 1994 regarded several toothed taxa as part of the Pteranodontidae that are presently separated in distinct clades such as the Anhangueridae and the Istiodactylidae (e.g., Howse et al 2001, Kellner 2003, Wang et al 2005.…”

On two pterosaur humeri from the Tendaguru beds (Upper Jurassic, Tanzania)

“…The distal end of the humerus is sub-triangular and lacks pneumatic foramina. (Bennett 2001, Wang et al 2005. It further differs from Tapejaridae and Azhdarchidae by the particular inclination of the deltopectoral crest that shows a distinct concave proximal margin in lateral view.…”