Re: She's Out Of My New Papers [Elanodactylus new paper]

[David Peters <davidpeters@att.net>]

re: The new Elanodactylus paper:

Data on  m4.1 being shorter than 4.2 was available with the first paper (Andres 
& Ji 2008) by putting together the broken bone (m4.1). This is just one 
character out of many that nests Elanodactylus with Wukongopterus and 
Darwinopterus. The tongue-like ventral process of the puboischiadic plate 
>might< be the prepubis if similar to that in Wukongopterus. Interesting that 
Zhou singled out metatarsal III as long and slender and not the other 
metatarsals. Mt II should be longer still. Also interesting that pedal digit V 
is singled out as "strongly reduced" as in traditional "pterodactyloids," as 
this would be a synapomorphy for that clade, but in the W-D-E clade that would 
be an autapomorphy. 

M4.2 and m4.3 longer than m4.1 was independently evolved in the W-D-E clade and 
convergent with many rhamphs. but 4.1 not longer than 4.2 is found in the JZMP 
embryo, Ningchenopterus, at leat two specimens of Pterodactylus, and No. 6, No. 
12 and No. 23 of Wellnhofer 1970. So it happens. The "recent discoveries" in 
Anurognathidae (presumeably this means three wing phalanges instead of the the 
traditional four) is bogus.

Just wondering, if W and D were congeneric with Elanodactylus? They were not 
conspecific.

Ville, send the pdf if you get one. I'll do the same.

David Peters


re:

 Chang-Fu Zhou, “New material of Elanodactylus prolatus Andres Ji, 2008
 (Pterosauria: Pterodactyloidea) from the Early Cretaceous Yixian Formation
 of western Liaoning, China,” Neues Jahrbuch für Geologie und Paläontologie -
 Abhandlungen 255 (March 2010): 277-286.

A new specimen of Elanodactylus prolatus Andres & Ji, 2008 is described from 
the Early Cretaceous Yixian Formation of Chaoyang, western Liaoning, China. The 
new specimen confirms the validity of E. prolatus and its unexpected feature, 
unique among pterodactyloids, the first wing phalanx of E. prolatus being 
shorter than the second and third wing phalanges. Additionally, the specimen 
provides new information about the pelvic girdle and hind limb: puboischiadic 
plate with a prominent, tongue-like ventral process; a semicircular prepubis; 
long and slender metatarsal III; and strongly reduced pedal digit V. Moreover, 
the elongate second and third wing phalanges possibly represent an 
independently evolved feature, which convergent on that seen in primitive 
members of the rhamphorhynchoids. Especially, when combined with recent 
discoveries of the Anurognathidae, this feature of Elanodactylus further 
increases the complexity of the pattern of wing phalanx proportions among 
Pterosauria.