Big pterosaur from Early Jurassic of England

[Ben Creisler <bcreisler@gmail.com>]

From: Ben Creisler
bcreisler@gmail.com


A new online paper:


Michael O'Sullivan, David M. Martill & David Groocock (2013)
A pterosaur humerus and scapulocoracoid from the Jurassic Whitby
Mudstone Formation, and the evolution of large body size in early
pterosaurs.
Proceedings of the Geologists' Association (advance online publication)
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.pgeola.2013.03.002,
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0016787813000278


Early Jurassic pterosaurs are rare and display low diversity with only
three well known genera for a period of ~21 million years duration.
The Hettangian-Pliensbachian Dimorphodon reached a wingspan estimated
at only 1.3 m, while the Lower Toarcian forms Dorygnathus and
Campylognathoides reached wings spans of 1.8 m. Here we describe a new
specimen of Toarcian pterosaur from the north east coast of England
that may have achieved an estimated wingspan between 1.6 and 3.2 m.