[Paleontology • 2011] Pterofiltus qiui • A New Ctenochasmatid Pterosaur from the Lower Cretaceous, western Liaoning, China

 Pterofiltus qiui 

Jiang & Wang. 2011 

 DOI:  10.1590/S0001-37652011000400011 

ABSTRACT

A nearly complete skull of a new ctenochasmatid pterosaur, Pterofiltus qiui gen. et sp. nov., from the Lower Cretaceous deposits of Liaoning, China, is described here. The specimen (IVPP V12339), was collected from the shale of the lower Yixian Formation (125 Ma) at the Zhangjiagou locality. It has the following combination of characters: about 112 teeth in total (including the upper and lower jaws); the dentition occupies more than 50% of the skull length; the anterior teeth vary in size; the mandibular symphysis is longer than half of the whole mandible length; in ventral view, an apparent symphyseal trough in the median part of the symphysis.

Key words: Lower Cretaceous, Yixian Formation, Pterofiltus qiui, Ctenochasmatidae, Liaoning, China.

SYSTEMATIC PALEONTOLOGY

Pterosauria Kaup, 1834 

Pterodactyloidea Plieninger, 1901 

Archaeopterodactyloidea Kellner, 2003 

Ctenochasmatidae Nopcsa, 1928

Pterofiltrus gen. nov.

Etymology - ptero-, from pteron (Greek), means wing; filtrus, from filtrum (Medieval Latin), means filter.

Type species - Pterofiltrus qiui gen. et sp. nov.

Fig. 2 – Pterofiltrus qiui gen. et sp. nov., IVPP V12339;
 photograph (A); line drawing (B) showing the general position of the elements; their relationship (C), blue, rostrum; green, mandible; red, posterior part of the skull; white, indeterminate; The anterior teeth in the upper jaw, the teeth are numbered based mainly on the presence of the alveoli. The 2nd and 5th teeth are the longest ones (D).

Pterofiltrus qiui sp. nov.

Etymology: In honor of Prof. Qiu Zhanxiang, who has made great contributions to the Chinese paleontology.

Type specimen: IVPP V12339 (Fig. 2), most part of skull and mandible, and first two cervical vertebrae, housed in the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology (IVPP), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.

Locality and horizon: Zhangjiagou, Beipiao City, Liaoning Province, China. Jianshangou Bed, lower Yixian Formation, Lower Cretaceous, about 125 Ma (Swisher et al. 2001).

Diagnosis: A Ctenochasatid pterosaur with the following combination of characters that distinguish it from the other members of this clade (autapomorphies are marked with an asterisk): about 112 teeth in total (including the upper and lower jaws); the dentition occupies more than 50% of the skull length; the anterior teeth vary in size; the mandibular symphysis is longer than half of the whole mandible length*; in ventral view, an apparent symphyseal trough in the median part of the symphysis*.

Fig. 2 – Pterofiltrus qiui gen. et sp. nov., IVPP V12339;
photograph (A); line drawing (B) showing the general position of the elements; their relationship (C), blue, rostrum; green, mandible; red, posterior part of the skull; white, indeterminate; The anterior teeth in the upper jaw, the teeth are numbered based mainly on the presence of the alveoli. The 2nd and 5th teeth are the longest ones (D); photograph (E) and line drawing (F) of the anterior mandibles, the teeth are directed laterally, and the anterior teeth directed anterolaterally, which is an important feature of Ctenochasmatidae.

 ang, angular; art, articular; at, atlas; ax, axis; d, dentary; f, frontal; hy, hyoid; j, jugal; m, maxilla; naof, nasoantorbital fenestra; p, parietal; pm, premaxilla; por, postorbital; q, quadrate; qj, quadratojugal; sq, squamosal; sym.t, symphyseal trough; t, tooth; utf, upper temporal fenestra; l, left; r, right.
  DOI:  10.1590/S0001-37652011000400011 

CONCLUSIONS

Based on a series of combination of characters, the new genus and species Pterofiltus qiui is established. The Jehol Biota comprises many pterosaurs and ctenochasmatids play a very important role. The amount of clade members is not big, but this clade has more taxa than many others. This new member provides further information on the global distribution of the ctenochasmatid, in Asia, Europe and America (Rodrigues and Kellner 2010).

Shunxing Jiang and Xiaolin Wang. 2011. A new ctenochasmatid pterosaur from the Lower Cretaceous, western Liaoning, China. An. Acad. Bras. Ciênc. 83(4); DOI:  10.1590/S0001-37652011000400011 

RESUMO: Um crânio quase completo de um novo pterossauro ctenochasmatídeo, Pterofiltus qiui gen. et sp. nov., de depósitos do Cretáceo Inferior de Liaoning, China é descrito. O exemplar (IVPP V12339) foi coletado de um argilito da parte inferior da Formação Yixian (125 Ma) na localidade Zhangjiagou. A nova espécie possui a seguinte combinação de caracteres: aproximadamente 112 dentes (incluindo ambas as arcadas); dentição ocupando mais de 50% do comprimento do crânio; dentes anteriores de tamanho variado; sínfise mandibular ocupando mais da metade do comprimento da mandíbula; abertura ventral na parte média da sínfise mandibular.

Palavras-chave: Cretáceo Inferior, Formação Yixian, Pterofiltus qiui, Ctenochasmatidae, Liaoning, China.

New Ctenochasmatid Pterosaur found from the lower Cretaceous of China
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