Comments on the Pteranodontidae (Pterosauria, Pterodactyloidea) with the description of two new species - PubMed (original) (raw)
Comments on the Pteranodontidae (Pterosauria, Pterodactyloidea) with the description of two new species
Alexander W A Kellner. An Acad Bras Cienc. 2010 Dec.
Free article
Abstract
Considered one of the best known flying reptiles, Pteranodon has been subject to several reviews in the last century. Found exclusively in the Upper Cretaceous Niobrara Formation and Pierre Shale Group 11 species have been attributed to this genus (excluding the ones presently regarded as representing Nyctosaurus). While reviewers agree that this number is inflated, there is disagreement on how many species can be identified. The last review recognized only two species (Pteranodon longiceps and Pteranodon sternbergi) both being sexually dimorphic. Based on several cranial features, some specimens previously referred to the genus Pteranodon are re-evaluated leading to the recognition of the following species, two of which new that are described here: Pteranodon longiceps, Geosternbergia sternbergi, Geosternbergia maiseyi sp. nov., and Dawndraco kanzai gen. et sp. nov. They differ mainly by features such as the direction and extension of the frontal crest, the angle and extension of the posterior process of the premaxillae, the shape and extension of the lower temporal fenestra and the length and proportion of the rostrum. The procedures to recognize a pterosaur species are also discussed here, and must take into account primarily morphology, in conjunction with stratigraphic and geographic data. Although well aware that changes in morphology not always reflect taxonomy, the lack of stratigraphic data and the limited number of specimens that can be confidently assigned to one species hampers our understanding on the morphological variations as a function of ontogeny, individual variation and sexual dimorphism. Although the present study has not eliminated the possibility to recognize such differences, caution is needed before models are generalized for pterosaurs.
Similar articles
- A new toothed pterosaur (Pterodactyloidea: Anhangueridae) from the Early Cretaceous Romualdo Formation, NE Brazil.
Bantim RA, Saraiva AA, Oliveira GR, Sayão JM. Bantim RA, et al. Zootaxa. 2014 Oct 1;3869(3):201-23. doi: 10.11646/zootaxa.3869.3.1. Zootaxa. 2014. PMID: 25283914 - Comments on Triassic pterosaurs with discussion about ontogeny and description of new taxa.
Kellner AW. Kellner AW. An Acad Bras Cienc. 2015 Apr-Jun;87(2):669-89. doi: 10.1590/0001-3765201520150307. An Acad Bras Cienc. 2015. PMID: 26131631 - A new toothless pterosaur (Pterodactyloidea) from Southern Brazil with insights into the paleoecology of a Cretaceous desert.
Kellner AWA, Weinschütz LC, Holgado B, Bantim RAM, Sayão JM. Kellner AWA, et al. An Acad Bras Cienc. 2019 Aug 19;91(suppl 2):e20190768. doi: 10.1590/0001-3765201920190768. An Acad Bras Cienc. 2019. PMID: 31432888 - New azhdarchoid pterosaur (Pterosauria, Pterodactyloidea) with an unusual lower jaw from the Portezuelo Formation (Upper Cretaceous), Neuquén Group, Patagonia, Argentina.
Kellner AWA, Calvo JO. Kellner AWA, et al. An Acad Bras Cienc. 2017;89(3 Suppl):2003-2012. doi: 10.1590/0001-3765201720170478. Epub 2017 Sep 25. An Acad Bras Cienc. 2017. PMID: 29166530 - The history, importance and anatomy of the specimen that validated the giant Purussaurus brasiliensis Barbosa-Rodrigues 1892 (Crocodylia: Caimaninae).
Souza LG, Bandeira KLN, Pêgas RV, Brum AS, Machado R, Guilherme E, Loboda TS, Souza-Filho JP. Souza LG, et al. An Acad Bras Cienc. 2021 Jun 16;93(suppl 2):e20200369. doi: 10.1590/0001-3765202120200369. eCollection 2021. An Acad Bras Cienc. 2021. PMID: 34161448 Review.
Cited by
- Osteology of an exceptionally well-preserved tapejarid skeleton from Brazil: Revealing the anatomy of a curious pterodactyloid clade.
Beccari V, Pinheiro FL, Nunes I, Anelli LE, Mateus O, Costa FR. Beccari V, et al. PLoS One. 2021 Aug 25;16(8):e0254789. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0254789. eCollection 2021. PLoS One. 2021. PMID: 34432814 Free PMC article. - A Basal Tapejarine (Pterosauria; Pterodactyloidea; Tapejaridae) from the Crato Formation, Early Cretaceous of Brazil.
Pêgas RV, Leal ME, Kellner AW. Pêgas RV, et al. PLoS One. 2016 Sep 21;11(9):e0162692. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0162692. eCollection 2016. PLoS One. 2016. PMID: 27655346 Free PMC article. - Novel information on the cranial anatomy of the tapejarine pterosaur Caiuajara dobruskii.
Canejo L, Holgado B, Weinschütz LC, Ricetti JHZ, Wilner E, Kellner AWA. Canejo L, et al. PLoS One. 2022 Dec 15;17(12):e0277780. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0277780. eCollection 2022. PLoS One. 2022. PMID: 36520711 Free PMC article. - An Early Cretaceous pterosaur with an unusual mandibular crest from China and a potential novel feeding strategy.
Wang X, Rodrigues T, Jiang S, Cheng X, Kellner AW. Wang X, et al. Sci Rep. 2014 Sep 11;4:6329. doi: 10.1038/srep06329. Sci Rep. 2014. PMID: 25210867 Free PMC article.
Publication types
MeSH terms
LinkOut - more resources
Full Text Sources