A long-billed, possible probe-feeding pterosaur (Pterodactyloidea: ?Azhdarchoidea) from the mid-Cretaceous of Morocco, North Africa

Small, immature pterosaurs from the Cretaceous of Africa: implications for taphonomic bias and palaeocommunity structure in flying reptiles

“…2-4) and a small mid-series cervical vertebra. All the jaw specimens demonstrate typical Kem Kem Group pterosaur preservation in lacking the anterior margin of the nasoantorbital fenestra for upper jaws, or the divergence of the mandibular rami for lower jaws (Ibrahim et al, 2010;Martill et al, 2018Martill et al, , 2020McPhee et al, 2020;Smith et al, 2020). It is not always possible to distinguish an upper jaw from a lower jaw where the pair are nearly symmetrical.…”

“…A considerable quantity of pterosaur material has been collected from the Kem Kem Group in recent years (Ibrahim et al, 2010;Martill et al, 2018Martill et al, , 2020Jacobs et al, 2019Jacobs et al, , 2020McPhee et al, 2020;Smith et al, 2020). This dataset has grown from a few tens of specimens to ~400 specimens and includes small and even very small individuals.…”

“…Here, we report on an important new opportunity to test the hypotheses outlined above. This is provided by the collection, over the last two decades, of substantial numbers of specimens (400þ) of pterosaurs from the Kem Kem Group of Morocco (Kellner and Mader, 1996;Mader and Kellner, 1999;Wellnhofer and Buffetaut, 1999;Rodrigues et al, 2006Rodrigues et al, , 2011Kellner et al, 2007;Ibrahim et al, 2010;Martill and Ibrahim, 2015;Martill et al, 2018Martill et al, , 2020Jacobs et al, 2019Jacobs et al, , 2020McPhee et al, 2020;Smith et al, 2020). Systematic studies of this assemblage have recognised nine named taxa (see Table S1) representing at least four distinct clades of pterodactyloid pterosaurs: Azhdarchidae, ?Chaoyangopteridae, Ornithocheiridae and Tapejaridae (Ibrahim et al, 2020).…”