Tapejarine pterosaur from the late Albian Paw Paw Formation of Texas, USA, with extensive feeding traces of multiple scavengers

ABSTRACT

An incomplete right metacarpal IV of a pterosaur from the late Albian Paw Paw Formation of Texas, USA, is the second pterosaur from that formation and an important addition to the sparse pterosaur record of the Albian of North America. Although the proximal and distal ends are missing, what remains of the shaft is straight and slender with little taper, little anteroposterior compression, and a distinct distal neck, and indicates the individual was of modest size despite being fully mature, and on that basis the specimen is referred to the Tapejarinae and is the first record of that taxon in North America. The specimen exhibits numerous bite marks of various types that are interpreted as resulting from intense scavenging by at least two different shark species and perhaps a bony fish.

KEYWORDS:

• Pterosauria
• Tapejarinae
• North America
• lower cretaceous
• Squalicorax

Acknowledgments

The authors thank D. A. Winkler of SMU for access to specimens under their care. Comments made by three anonymous reviewers led to significant improvements in the manuscript.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).