New data on the cervical morphology of the Chinese tapejarine

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.

Keywords::

• Azhdarchoidea
• Sinopterus
• Chaoyangopterus
• Early Cretaceous
• cervical vertebrae

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.

Additional information

Funding

Funding was provided by Public Science and Technology Research Funds Projects of Land and Resources [grant number 201311120]; National Natural Science Foundation of China grant number 41202014]; State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy (Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, CAS) [grant number 113112]; and Program for Liaoning Excellent Talents in University [grant number LJQ2011120].