News on pterosaur

[Hebert Bruno Campos <hebertcampos@bol.com.br>]

Kellner, Alexander W.A., Aguirre-Urreta, María B. and Ramos, Victor A. 
On the pterosaur remains from the Río Belgrano formation (Barremian), 
Patagonian Andes of Argentina. An. Acad. Bras. Ciênc., Dec 2003, vol.75, 
no.4, p.487-495.

Pterosaur remains from the Río Belgrano Formation, Santa Cruz Province, 
Argentina, were found close to the Estancia Río Roble, along with 
several ammonoids that indicate a Barremian age for those strata. The 
specimens (MACN-SC 3617) consist of one ulna and one element tentatively 
identified as a portion of a wing metacarpal. The ulna shows 
morphological affinities with the Pteranodontoidea (sensu Kellner 1996), 
particularly with the members of the Anhangueridae by having a well 
developed ventral crest close to the proximal articulation, and is 
tentatively referred to this pterosaur clade. The oldest record of the 
Anhangueridae, previously limited to the Aptian/Albian, is therefore 
extended to the Barremian. The Argentinean material is preserved in 
three dimensions, an unusual condition for pterosaur fossils from that 
country, indicating that the site situated near the Estancia Río Roble 
has a great potential for new and well preserved specimens.

Available on: http://www.scielo.br/pdf/aabc/v75n4/a07v75n4.pdf