Re: New papers (pterosaur focus)

[David Peters <davidrpeters@earthlink.net>]

thanks to Chris Taylor for this reference:

Michael Fastnacht. 2005. The first dsungaripterid pterosaur from the
Kimmeridgian of Germany and the biomechanics of pterosaur long bones.
APP 50
(2): 273-288.
    The remains (not identified beyond family) are a well-preserved
sacrum
and hip. Range of movement apparently supports quadrupedal locomotion.


>>>>>>

This is a fantastic 3D specimen of the posterior verts, pelvis(with
buried prepubis) and femora in the flight/resting configuration of the
oldest known dsungaripterid. Interesting that it was found in
Germanodactylus territory. Michael explores the possibility of a
horizontal and an elevated pelvis along with parasagittal femora under
the archosauriform paradigm and finds trouble due to the (at least
partial) dorsal exposure of the acetabula. Unfortunately he doesn't
explore the bipedal lizard model in which the femora remain permanently
splayed with coincident axes for the acetabulum and femoral head.



>>>>>>>>>>>

Thanks to Kazuo Takahashi for these two references:

A new ornithocheirid (Boreopterus) from China  concerns another
fantastic find of a crushed but complete skeleton with clearly visible
multiple nares, lots of soft tissue, etc. This is the second
ornithocheirid that I am aware of that preserves the pedes, and man are
they tiny, as in Anhanguera. (Note to the Stanford group!) Similar in
size to Haopterus, otherwise similar to Brasileodactylus. Could easily
be the parent of the third egg. For an ornithocheirid, a relatively
short M4.1 (and shorter than in Haopterus), which makes it primitive.



>>CTA GEOLOGICA SINICA vol.79 No.2
pp.157-163

A New Ornithocheirid from the Early Cretaceous of Liaoning Province,
China
LU Junchang and JI Qiang
Abstract
  Based on a nearly complete skeleton with skull from the Early
Cretaceous
of Liaoning Province, a new
ornithocheirid pterosaur: Boreopterus cuiae gen. et sp. nov. is erected.

Boreopterus cuiae is different from other pterosaurs
preserved with skulls known from the western Liaoning Province and its
neighboring areas. This new pterosaur has more
and larger teeth than those in other ornithocheirids. Its anterior nine
pairs of teeth are larger than other teeth. The fourth pair
of upper and lower teeth are slightly larger than the third pair.
Overall,
Boreopterus cuiae shows much small range of tooth
sixe variation than Anhanguera piscator and coloborhynghus robustus. The
new
taxon shares with other ornithocheirids in
having a relatively large size of the third and fourth pairs of teeth.<<




A second paper regarding an isolated mandible with a very slightly
expanded anterior. A few short medially oriented (at least in death)
teeth and a relatively broad mandible with a short symphysis would
appear to place this specimen (Liaoxipterus) elsewhere, possibly among
the cycnorhamphids.


>>pp.164-167
A new Ctenochasmatid Pterosaur from the Early Cretaceous of Liaoning
Province
DONG Zhiming and LU Junchang
Abstract
  Based on a nearly complete lower jaw from the Early Cretaceous of
Liaoning
Province, a new ctenochasmatid
Pterosaur: Liaoxipterus brachyognathus gen. et sp. nov. is erected.
Liaoxipterus Brachyognathus is different from any
Known pterosaurs with skulls preserved from western Liaoning Pro vince
and
its peripheral areas in that the anterior part of
The mandibular symphysis is expanded, being widest between the fourth
alveolus of each side. Liaoxipterus Brachyognathus
is assigned to Ctenochasmatidae based on the following characters: the
rounded anterior end of the lower jaw is
spatulated and dorsoventrally flattened and marked heterodonty in the
dentition is absent. It differs from other ctenochasmatid
pterosaurs in having relatively small number of teeth. Liaoxipterus is
distinguished from some ornithocheirids, which have
expanded anterior parts of the mandibular symphyses, such as Anhanguera
piscator, Coloborhynchus robustus in which the
teeth of the new pterosaur are not as variable.<<