In Depth
The toothless beak of Shenzhoupterus is quite characteristic of the azdarchid line of pterosaurs and indicates a potentially carnivorous diet not restricted to fish. The skull of Shenzhoupterus is proportionately deep and the antorbital fenestra is especially large to accomodate this morphology. A convex shaped crest also rose up from the top of the skull, starting from just before the antorbital fenestra, curving over the eye, and ending in contact with a bony extension that extended from the back of the skull.
Further Reading
Further reading- A new azhdarchoid pterosaur from the Lower Cretaceous of China and its implications for pterosaur phylogeny and evolution. – Naturwissenschften 95:891-897. – J. L�, D. M. Unwin, L. Xu & X. Zhang – 2008.