In Depth
Superficially Qinglongopterus has been found to be very similar to Rhamphorhynchus, the pterosaur that is the type genus of the Rhamphorhynchidae and to which Qinglongopterus is thought to be the most closely related. This however hints that both Qinglongopterus and Rhamphorhynchus represented their evolutionary limit as they are separated by many millions of years yet show very little development, although it may be that they were so well adapted to their particular ecological niche that they did not require further changes to their bodies.
Pterosaurs as a group are thought to have gone through a process of ‘modular evolution’, which is where rather than the whole body changing all at once, only certain parts change. For example, while the main body stays the same, the proportions of the wing bones may change, or instead the orientation of the neck vertebrae joining the skull may shift. Such evolution can be seen in some pterosaurs such as Darwinopterus which have been described as being cobbled together from a combination of primitive and advanced pterosaur parts.
Further Reading
– A new rhamphorhynchid (Pterosauria: Rhamphorhynchidae) from the Middle/Upper Jurassic of Qinglong, Hebei Province, China. – Zootaxa 3158:1-19. – J. L�, D. M. Unwin, B. Zhao, C. Gao & C. Shen – 2012.
