Caiuajara

Ky-u-ah-yaj-ra.
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Emerson Winslow

Paleoichthyologist

Emerson Winslow delves into the underwater world of prehistoric fish, uncovering the mysteries of early marine life. His discoveries have enhanced understanding of vertebrate evolution in aquatic environments.

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Name

Caiuajara ‭(‬Caiu� being‭).

Phonetic

Ky-u-ah-yaj-ra.

Named By

‭ ‬P.‭ ‬C.‭ ‬Manzig,‭ ‬A.‭ ‬W.‭ ‬A.‭ ‬Kellner,‭ ‬L.‭ ‬C.‭ ‬Weinsch�tz,‭ ‬C.‭ ‬E.‭ ‬Fragoso,‭ ‬C.‭ ‬S.‭ ‬Vega,‭ ‬G.‭ ‬B.‭ ‬Guimar�es,‭ ‬L.‭ ‬C.‭ ‬Godoy,‭ ‬A.‭ ‬Liccardo,‭ ‬J.‭ ‬H.‭ ‬Z.‭ ‬Ricetti‭ & ‬C.‭ ‬M.‭ ‬Moura‭ ‬-‭ ‬2014.

Classification

Chordata,‭ ‬Reptilia,‭ ‬Pterosauria,‭ ‬Pterodactyloidea,‭ ‬Tapejaridae.

Diet

Piscivore‭?

Species

C.‭ ‬dobruskii‭

Size

Wingspan roughly about‭ ‬2.35‭ ‬meters across.

Known locations

Brazil‭ ‬-‭ ‬Goio-Er� Formation.

Time Period

Coniacian to Campanian of the Cretaceous.

Fossil representation

Partial skull and post cranial skeletal fossils of several individuals.

In Depth

       Noted for its similarity to the genus Tapejara,‭ ‬Caiuajara is a tapejarid pterosaur that lived in South America during the late Cretaceous.‭ ‬Tapejarid pterosaurs are noted for their large head crests,‭ ‬and‭ ‬Caiuajara is no exception.‭ ‬The crest of Caiuajara has been reconstructed to have formed a crest shaped much like a shark fin,‭ ‬and this grew up from the top of the skull,‭ ‬with the base running from the front of the snout all the way to the back of the head.

Further Reading

-‭ ‬Discovery of a Rare Pterosaur Bone Bed in a Cretaceous Desert with Insights on Ontogeny and Behavior of Flying Reptiles.‭ ‬-‭ ‬PLoS ONE‭ ‬9‭(‬8‭)‬.‭ ‬-‭ ‬P.‭ ‬C.‭ ‬Manzig,‭ ‬A.‭ ‬W.‭ ‬A.‭ ‬Kellner,‭ ‬L.‭ ‬C.‭ ‬Weinsch�tz,‭ ‬C.‭ ‬E.‭ ‬Fragoso,‭ ‬C.‭ ‬S.‭ ‬Vega,‭ ‬G.‭ ‬B.‭ ‬Guimar�es,‭ ‬L.‭ ‬C.‭ ‬Godoy,‭ ‬A.‭ ‬Liccardo,‭ ‬J.‭ ‬H.‭ ‬Z.‭ ‬Ricetti‭ & ‬C.‭ ‬M.‭ ‬Moura‭ ‬-‭ ‬2014.

SPECIES SPOTLIGHT