A new toothed pteranodontoid (Pterosauria, Pterodactyloidea) from the Jiufotang Formation (Lower Cretaceous, Aptian) of China and comments on Liaoningopterus gui Wang and Zhou, 2003

Abstract

Pteranodontoids consist of a diverse and cosmopolitan clade of Cretaceous pterodactyloid pterosaurs. In the Jiufotang Formation (Lower Cretaceous, Aptian) of northeastern China, pterodactyloids are represented by azhdarchoids and pteranodontoids, including istiodactylids and anhanguerians. Here, we describe a new pterosaur from this unit that represents a new species of toothed pteranodontoid. Its overall morphology is consistent with other toothed pteranodontoids but shows some interesting features such as the orbit being more ventrally positioned than in all other species from this clade. It differs markedly from all other pterosaurs from this unit, including Liaoningopterus, Guidraco and Ikrandraco, with which the new taxon is possibly related. In addition to the description of the new taxon, we also describe the anhanguerid Liaoningopterus gui in more detail. The new species, Liaoningopterus gui, Guidraco venator and Ikrandraco avatar, are large pterosaurs with very distinct tooth morphologies, suggesting that they had different prey preferences, partially explaining how the Jiufotang Formation could bear such a high diversity of pterosaur species.

Keywords::

• Lower Cretaceous
• Jiufotang Formation
• China
• Pterosauria
• Linlongopterus
• Liaoningopterus

Acknowledgements

We thank Yutong Li for the preparation, and Wei Gao for the photographs of the specimen IVPP V15549. TNT is provided by the Willi Hennig Society. We also thank Oliver Rauhut for access to specimens under his care, and Felipe Pinheiro and an anonymous reviewer for comments that greatly improved the manuscript.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This study was supported by the Hundred Talents Project of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the National Key Basic Research Program of China [grant number 2012CB821900], and the National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars [grant number 40825005]. T. Rodrigues received funding from the Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico/Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa e Inovação do Espírito Santo [grant number 52986870/2011] and Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico [grant number 460784/2014-5], and A.W.A. Kellner acknowledges funding from the Fundação Carlos Chagas Filho de Amparo à Pesquisa do Rio de Janeiro [grant number E-26/102.737/2012] and the Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico [grant number 304780/2013-8].