Archaeoistiodactylus, new Jurassic pterosaur from China

[bh480@scn.org]

From: Ben Creisler
bh480@scn.org

In case this new pterosaur has not been mentioned yet:

Lü Junchang and Fucha Xiaohui (2010)
A new pterosaur (Pterosauria) from Middle Jurassic 
Tiaojishan Formation of western Liaoning,China.
Global Geology Z1: 113-118
(DOI) CNKI:SUN:DBYD.0.2010-Z1-002 

http://www.cnki.net/kcms/detail/detail.aspx?
dbCode=cjfd&QueryID=14&CurRec=1&filename=DBYD2010Z1002&dbn
ame=CJFDTEMP

A new pterosaur Archaeoistiodactylus linglongtaensis gen. 
et sp. nov. is erected based on an incomplete skeleton 
with a partial skull and lower jaw. The new taxon is 
characterized by circular tooth sockets of anterior 
mandibular teeth,the anterior teeth of the upper jaw 
bearing posteriorly directed crowns,a relatively short 
metacarpus,and wing phalanges 2 and 3 and the tibia 
subequal in length. It possesses some plesiomorphic 
characters such as short metacarpals and circular tooth 
sockets. The pointed jaw tip present in the new taxon 
indicates that the expanded jaw tips of later 
istiodactylids are a derived character state,and the new 
taxon represents the first istiodactylus-like pterosaur 
found from the pre-Late Jurassic deposits,which provides 
a key role in our understanding the origin and evolution 
of the known istiodactylid pterosaurs. 
Archaeoistiodactylus is regarded as the ancestor form of 
the known istiodactylid pterosaur.