In Depth
The holotype specimen of Cearadactylus was not dug out of the ground by a dedicated research team, but was instead purchased from fossil dealers in Italy in 1983. Unfortunately these fossil dealers made several mistakes in rebuilding the fossil, including mistaking the front of the lower jaw for the snout and setting it upside down and enlarging the teeth.
When the skull was reconstructed properly by the National Museum of Brazil, the teeth were found to have formed a smaller ‘rosette’ for prey capture than the previous reconstruction. Also the presence of a crest on the snout was also clearly established leading to Cearadactylus being placed with the ornithocheiridae.
Because only the skull is known, the wingspan for Cearadactylus has had to be estimated by proportional comparison to other more complete pterosaurs of the group. However the methods of comparison can vary as well as being interpreted differently by different researchers.
A second skull was once attributed to Cearadactylus under the species name Cearadactylus ligabuei, but again fossil traders incorrectly reconstructed the material. Because the skull is composed of two main parts, many have questioned it the parts are actually from the same species. Subsequent study of this skull has seen it assigned to Anhanguera and Coloborhynchus by different researchers.
Further Reading
– Cearadactylus atrox nov. gen., nov. sp.: novo Pterosauria (Pterodactyloidea) da Chapada do Araripe, Cear�, Brasil. – Colet�nea de Trabalhos Paleontol�gicos, S�rie Geologia, Brasilia 75-80. – G. Leonardi & G. Borgomanero – 1985. – On the systematic relationships of Cearadactylus atrox, an enigmatic Early Cretaceous pterosaur from the Santana Formation of Brazil. – Mitteilungen Museum f�r Naturkunde Berlin, Geowissenschaftlichen Reihe. 5: 1239–263. – D. M. Unwin – 2002. – Short Note on the Phylogenetic Position of Cearadactylus Atrox, and Comments Regarding Its Relationships to Other Pterosaurs. – Acta Geoscientica Sinica 31 Supp.1: 73-75. – Bruno C. Vila Nova, Alexander W.A. Kellner & Juliana M. Say�o – 2010.
