In Depth
Gwawinapterus was originally named as a new genus of pterosaur in 2011, however doubts were soon raised about the genus. Firstly a 2012 study (Witton) noted a highly unusual form of tooth replacement unknown in pterosaurs. Then another 2012 study (Vullo, Buffetaut & Everhart) came to the conclusion that the Gwawinapterus holotype fossil was not actually from a pterosaur, but of a fish.
Further Reading
– An istiodactylid pterosaur from the Upper Cretaceous Nanaimo Group, Hornby Island, British Columbia, Canada. – Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences 48:63-69. – V. M. Arbour & P. J. Currie – 2011. – New Insights into the Skull of Istiodactylus latidens (Ornithocheiroidea, Pterodactyloidea). – PLoS ONE, 7(3). – M. P. Witton – 2012. – Reappraisal of Gwawinapterus beardi from the Late Cretaceous of Canada: a saurodontid fish, not a pterosaur. – Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, 32(5): 1198-1201 – R. Vullo, E. Buffetaut & M. J. Everhart – 2012.
