Abstract
In the Jehol Biota, the edentulous azhdarchoid pterosaurs are flourished, with well-known Sinopterus-like and Chaoyangopterus-like cranial morphotypes. In contrast, their postcranial morphology is obscure, especially in cervical vertebrae. Here, new material of the Chinese tapejarine from the Early Cretaceous Jiufotang Formation in western Liaoning is described that provides more information about the mid-cervical vertebrae. As in Chaoyangopterus, the mid-cervicals are moderately elongated and lack the lateral pneumatic foramen; the prezygapophyses are horn-like and slightly divergent, and basally bear a longitudinally oriented sulcus. This similarity implies that the mid-cervical structure is inconsistent with the cranial disparity in the early radiation of the Azhdarchoidea, and further supports the hypothesis that the extremely elongated mid-cervicals are possibly evolved latterly in the Azhdarchidae after branching from the Azhdarchoidea.
Acknowledgements
The authors thank Dr S. Christopher Bennett (Fort Hays State University, Kansas, USA) and one anonymous reviewer for many suggestions that improved the manuscript.
Supplementary data
Supplementary data for this article can be accessed at doi:10.1080/08912963.2014.885962.