Haopterus

How-op-teh-russ.
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Emily Green

Paleobotanist

Emily Green brings the ancient world of plants to life through her insightful research and engaging writing. Her expertise lies in examining how prehistoric vegetation influenced climate patterns and animal evolution.

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Name

Haopterus (Hao's wing).

Phonetic

How-op-teh-russ.

Named By

Wang & L� - 2005.

Classification

Chordata, Reptilia, Pterosauria, Pterodactyloidea, Ornithocheiridae.

Diet

Piscivore.

Species

H. gracilis

Size

125 centimetre wingspan.

Known locations

China, Liaoning Province - Yixian Formation.

Time Period

Barremian to Aptian of the Cretaceous.

Fossil representation

Single almost complete skeleton of a sub adult.

In Depth

       The teeth of Haopterus are quite robust. As well as extending for the first two thirds of the jaws they also point towards the back of the mouth. These teeth are well adapted for catching and holding onto fish, which seem to be the preferred diet of pterosaurs that belong to the Ornithocheiridae.

Further Reading

Further reading- Discovery of a pterodactylid pterosaur from the Yixian Formation of western Liaoning, China. – Chinese Science Bulletin 46:1112-1117. – X. Wang & J. L� – 2001.

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