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| Afrotapejara zouhri
Martill, Smith, Unwin, Kao, McPhee & Ibrahim, 2020
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Abstract
A new pterosaur, Afrotapejara zouhri gen. et sp. is described on the basis of a partial rostral fragment from the Cretaceous Kem Kem beds of Takmout, near Erfoud in southern Morocco. The taxon is distinguished from all other Tapejaridae on the possession of a dorsal expansion of the rostral margin a short distance from the rostral tip. Tapejarid features include a downturned rostrum (autapomorphic), edentuly, expansion of the rostral median crest (autapomorphic) and the presence of small foramina on the lateral margins and occlusal surface. The new specimen is the fourth edentulous pterosaur taxon from the Kem Kem beds and is the first unambiguous occurrence of Tapejaridae in Africa.
Keywords: Pterosauria, Azhdarchoidea, Tapejaridae, Cretaceous, Africa, Morocco
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| Fig. 4. Holotype (specimen number FSAC-KK 5004) partial rostrum of Afrotapejara zouhri gen. et sp. nov. from the Kem Kem beds of Ikhf N’ Taqmout, Errachidia Province, southern Morocco. A, right lateral view; B, left lateral view; C, occlusal view; D, dorsal view;
Scale bar = 50 mm.
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Systematic palaeontology
PTEROSAURIA Kaup, 1834
MONOFENESTRATA Lü et al., 2009
PTERODACTYLOIDEA Plieninger, 1901
AZHDARCHOIDEA Nessov, 1984
TAPEJARIDAE Kellner, 1989
Genus AFROTAPEJARA gen. nov.
Derivation of generic name. A combination of Afro for Africa and tapejara from the Brazilian pterosaur Tapejara.
Afrotapejara zouhri gen. et sp.
Derivation of specific name. After Dr Samir Zouhri, Moroccan palaeontologist based in Casablanca who has helped us so much in our work in Morocco.
David M. Martill, Roy Smith, David M. Unwin, Alexander Kao, James McPhee and Nizar Ibrahim. 2020. A New Tapejarid (Pterosauria, Azhdarchoidea) from the mid-Cretaceous Kem Kem Beds of Takmout, southern Morocco. Cretaceous Research. 112, 104424. DOI: 10.1016/j.cretres.2020.104424
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