In Depth Xericeps is a genus of pterosaur that lived in Africa during the Cretaceous. Further Reading - A new edentulous pterosaur from the Cretaceous Kem Kem beds of south eastern Morocco. Cretaceous Research 84:1-12. - D. M. Martill, D. M. Unwin, N. Ibrahim & N. Longrich - 2018.
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 … Read more
In Depth Ctenochasmatid pterosaurs are usually confirmed by their special dentition which allows them to filter sediment and water as they hunt for invertebrates. However this was not possible for Beipiaopterus because the skull was unknown. Instead the remainder of the body had to be examined for identifying features and the conclusion to this was … Read more
In Depth Liaoningopterus was one of the largest pterosaurs known from China, and is considered to be similar to the pterosaur Anhanguera known from all over the world. Liaoningopterus had two crests on both the top of its snout and lower jaw, similar to Ornithocheirus which is why Liaoningopterus is placed within the Ornithocheiridae. Also … Read more
In Depth To date not much can be revealed about Bakonydraco other than it was almost certainly an azdarchid pterosaur. Bakonydraco did still differ from many other azdarchids however by having what appears to have been a tall, deep beak. This has implied a possibly piscivorous specialisation as opposed to a more general carnivore. It … Read more
In Depth Although Jianchangnathus has been found to have several similarities with Scaphognathus, its frontal teeth actually pointed forwards like with Dorygnathus. This may have been to make it easier for Jianchangnathus to pick up fish with its mouth, significantly increasing the chance of successful prey capture. Another pterosaur from the same deposit is Fenghuangopterus, … Read more
In Depth A very fascinating discovery, Caelestiventus has helped add to our knowledge of Triassic age pterosaurs greatly. Most Triassic age pterosaurs are known from relatively incomplete remains so one with has skull and jaw material like Caelestiventus is rare indeed. The Caelestiventus holotype fossil is also among the first discovered in North America, most … Read more
In Depth Muzquizopteryx is placed in the same pterosaur family as Nyctosaurus although it lacks the formers highly elaborate head crest. With a two meter wingspan, Muzquizopteryx is small for a nyctosaurid. Further Reading – A brick in a wall: the first nyctosaurid pterosaur from the Conacian of NE Mexico and its impact on the … Read more
In Depth Luchibang is a genus of pterosaur that lived in Asia during the early Cretaceous. Further Reading - An unusual new genus of istiodactylid pterosaur from China based on a near complete specimen. - Palaeontologia Electronica. 23 (1): Article number 23(1):a09. - David W. E. Hone, Adam J. Fitch, Feimin Ma & Xing Xu … Read more
In Depth Because of the fragmentary nature of Rhamphocephalus specimens it is hard to determine the kind of pterosaur that it was in life. Also the poor preservation of the specimens have led many to doubt if they actually represent a new genus, in fact the term wastebasket taxon has been applied to Rhamphocephalus much … Read more