Carniadactylus paper

[David Peters <davidrpeters@charter.net>]

A new paper by DMLister, Fabio Dalla Vecchia has been published.


Dalla Vecchia 2009. Anatomy and Systematics of the Pterosaur  
Carniadactylus (gen. n.) rosenfeldi (Dalla Vecchia, 1995). Rivista  
Italiana de Paleontologia e Stratigrafia 115(2):159-188

in which Fabio renames Eudimorphodon rosenfeldi, which was needed, and  
provides a great redescription of the fossil, which is also appreciated.

Fabio also places MPUM 6009 (formerly considered the Milano specimen  
of Eudimorphodon and a juvenile) in the same genus and species despite  
several differences, which, following Chris Bennett, Fabio considers  
ontogenetic. The smaller one (MPUM 6009) stands up to the shoulder of  
the larger one.

A new analysis takes a big leap and places anurognathids as the sister  
taxon to the pterodactylids, (as I recall, following one of Unwin's  
(2003) many results). Otherwise the tree shows quite a few great  
relationships which are duplicated in larger analyses.

Unfortunately Fabio did not test MPUM 6009 as a separate taxon to see  
if it would indeed nest with the former E. rosenfeldii.



David Peters
St. Louis