Yixianopterus

Yix-ee-an-op-teh-rus.
By Lilah Turner
Published on

Lilah Turner

Evolutionary Biologist

Lilah Turner investigates how prehistoric animals adapted to changing environments, offering insights into evolution's mechanisms.

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Turner, L. (2014, January 31). Yixianopterus. Prehistoric-wildlife. https://www.prehistoric-wildlife.com/species/yixianopterus/

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Name

Yixianopterus (Yixian wing).

Phonetic

Yix-ee-an-op-teh-rus.

Named By

L� et al - 2006.

Classification

Chordata, Reptilia, Pterosauria, Pterodactyloidea, Ornithocheiridae.

Diet

Carnivore/Piscivore.

Species

Y. jingangshanensis (type)

Size

Estimated 20 centimetre skull length.

Known locations

China, Liaoning Province - Yixian Formation.

Time Period

Aptian of the Cretaceous.

Fossil representation

Partial skeleton and jaws.

In Depth

       Yixianopterus had numerous small concical teeth in its jaws that would have allowed it to pluck fish from the water. The pterosaur Avgodectes is considered by some to be a potential synonym of Yixianopterus, although at the time of writing this is still under debate.

Further Reading

– New pterodactyloid pterosaur from the Lower Cretaceous Yixian Formation of Western Liaoning. Papers from the 2005 Heyuan International Dinosaur Symposium. – Geological Publishing House, Beijing 195-203. – J. L�, S. Ji, C. Yuan, Y. Gao, Z. Sun & Q. Ji – 2006.

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