A new anhanguerid pterosaur specimen from the Romualdo Formation, Araripe Basin (Lower Cretaceous, Northeastern Brazil)

Author(s)

da Silva, Joao Lucas ; Bentes, Tabata ; Pegas, Rodrigo V. ; Kellner, Alexander W. A. ; Costa, Fabiana Rodrigues

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: HISTORICAL BIOLOGY; v. N/A, p. 22-pg., 2024-07-26.

Abstract

Pterosaurs, flying reptiles that lived during the Mesozoic era, were the first vertebrates to develop powered flight. Despite being patchy, the pterosaur fossil record extends worldwide, being quite diverse at the Araripe Basin, Brazil. The Romualdo Formation (Aptian-Albian), a Konservat Lagerst & auml;tten rich in calcareous concretions, has yielded several of these exceptionally well-preserved, three-dimensional fossils. MN 4727-V, the focus of the present study, consists exclusively of three-dimensionally preserved post-cranial axial and appendicular elements. The anatomy suggests that MN 4727-V is a pteranodontoid since it exhibits an enlarged, warped deltopectoral crest and a subtriangular distal articulation of the humerus. The phylogenetic analysis recovered MN 4727-V as an anhanguerid by the combination of the following characters: scapula substantially shorter than the coracoid (sca/co < 0.80), and posterior expansion of the sternal articulation of the coracoid. The presence of elliptical-shaped, dorsomedially inclined depressions on the dorsal surface of the prezygapophyses of the preserved cervicals has never been reported for any other anhanguerid, although they might not be diagnostic to MN 4727-V. The tail bears unique middle caudals that exhibit ventral projections, a character previously reported only for Anhanguera piscator. The wingspan of MN 4727-V, a juvenile individual, was estimated to be about 3.9 metres. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 19/10231-6 - Stance biomechanis of the wing during flight in Anhanguera piscator and Tupuxuara leonardii (Pterosauria: Pterodactyloidea) and considerations on the evolution of flight within the group
• Grantee: Rodrigo Vargas Pêgas
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• FAPESP's process: 22/03099-7 - Tridimensional modeling and locomotor biomechanics in extinct vertebrates
• Grantee: Fabiana Rodrigues Costa Nunes
• Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Initial Project
• FAPESP's process: 23/11296-0 - Biomechanics of the mandibular musculature and feeding habits in Pterosauria
• Grantee: Rodrigo Vargas Pêgas
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral