Araripesaurus

A-ra-ri-pe-sore-us.
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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

Araripesaurus (Araripe lizard).

Phonetic

A-ra-ri-pe-sore-us.

Named By

Llewellyn Ivor Price - 1971.

Classification

Chordata, Reptilia, Pterosauria, Pterodactyloidea, Ornithocheiridae.

Diet

Piscivore.

Species

A. castilhoi

Size

Estimated 2.2 meter wingspan.

Known locations

Brazil - Santana Formation.

Time Period

Albian of the Cretaceous.

Fossil representation

Partial wing of a subadult specimen.

In Depth

       Araripesaurus appears to be a dubious entry amongst pterosaurs because of the lack of distinguishing features. Even though it has been considered to be Santanadactylus, the same lack of distinguishing features mean that Araripesaurus cannot be reassigned to a different genus with certainty. Further material that was to be attributed to Araripesaurus has since been classified under Anhanguera, another pterosaur noted as being similar to Araripesaurus.

Further Reading

Further reading- A presen�a de Pterosauria no Cret�ceo Inferior da Chapada do Araripe, Brasil. – Anais da Academia Brasileira de Ci�ncias 43:451-461. – L. I. Price – 1971.

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