re: Chaoyangopterus

[Unwin <h0662eka@rz.hu-berlin.de>]

Chaoyangopterus

Perusal of a reprint kindly supplied by Wang and Zhou suggests that 
Chaoyangopterus is indeed an azhdarchoid. In any case it is almost 
certainly not related to Nyctosaurus, which exhibits numerous apomophies 
of Ornithocheiroidea while Chaoyangopterus does not. Chaoyangopterus 
lacks at least one key azhdarchid apomophy (highly elongate mid-series 
cervicals) and seems to compare quite well (at least morphometrically 
speaking) with Sinopterus which has been identified as a tapejarid, 
generally recognised (at least by me and Kellner) as a basal azhdarchoid. 
Further details should appear in various papers in the Geol. Soc. 
Evolution and Palaeobiology of Pterosaurs volume due out in September 
(more shameless touting, I know). 

Cheers,

Dave

PS, Ollie, did you remember to feed HH, seeing as you were the last one 
to take him out for a ride? 

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David M. Unwin PhD

Institut fur Palaontologie, MUSEUM FUR NATURKUNDE 
Zentralinstitut der Humboldt-Universitat zu Berlin
Invalidenstrasse 43, D-10115 Berlin, GERMANY

Email: david.unwin@rz.hu-berlin.de

Telephone numbers:
0049 30 2093 8577 (office)
0049 30 2093 8862 (department secretary)
0049 30 2093 8868 (fax)
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