A skeleton from the Middle Jurassic of Scotland illuminates an earlier origin of large pterosaurs

Jagielska, Natalia; O’Sullivan, Michael; Funston, Gregory F.; Butler, Ian B.; Challands, Thomas J.; Clark, Neil D. L.; Fraser, Nicholas C.; Penny, Amelia; Ross, Dugald A.; Wilkinson, Mark; Brusatte, Stephen L.

doi:10.1016/j.cub.2022.01.073

Cited by 15 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 48 publications

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“…Portrayals of pterosaurs throughout the Triassic and Jurassic have traditionally been as relatively small animals, with wingspans constrained to around 1.6–1.8 m or less, whereas Cretaceous pterosaurs reached well above 3 m ( O’Sullivan, Martill & Groocock, 2013 ; Jagielska et al, 2022 ). Of late, it has been increasingly postulated that Jurassic pterosaurs have been previously underestimated for their size range (and particularly when considering the larger end of the spectrum).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Of late, it has been increasingly postulated that Jurassic pterosaurs have been previously underestimated for their size range (and particularly when considering the larger end of the spectrum). Some previously-known larger-sized examples include the 1.73 minimum wingspan of Sericipterus ( Andres, Clark & Xing, 2010 ), the 1.8 m wingspans of Camplognathoides ( Padian, 2008 ) and Rhamphorhynchus ( Wellnhofer, 1975 ), the 1.9 m wingspan of the rhamphorhynchine pterosaur from the Whitby Mudstone Formation ( O’Sullivan, Martill & Groocock, 2013 ), and the 2.5 m wingspan of the Middle Jurassic sub-adult Dearc sgiathanach Jagielska et al (2022) . There are also the proposed (but not wholly reliable) over 2.5 m wingspans of Harpactognathus gentryii Carpenter et al (2003) (the fossil has been removed from museum collections since its publication) and the gnathosaurine Huanhepterus quingyangensis Dong (1982) (of unreliable age), the 3.3 m wingspan of a very fragmentary potential Rhamphorhynchus ( Spindler & Ifrim, 2021 ), and the 3.5–5 m wingspan of a specimen described by Meyer & Hunt (1999) , but which may be scaled using an uncertain attribution, according to O’Sullivan, Martill & Groocock (2013) .…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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A new gnathosaurine (Pterosauria, Archaeopterodactyloidea) from the Late Jurassic of Portugal

Fernandes,

Beccari,

Kellner

et al. 2023

PeerJ

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An incomplete, yet remarkably-sized dentated rostrum and associated partial cervical vertebrae of a pterosaur (ML 2554) were recently discovered from the Late Jurassic (Late Kimmeridgian-Early Tithonian) Lourinhã Formation of Praia do Caniçal, of central west Portugal. This specimen exhibits features such as a spatulated anterior expansion of the rostrum, robust comb-like dentition, and pronounced rims of the tooth alveoli, indicating gnathosaurine affinities. Based on its further unique tooth and dentary morphology, a new genus and species, Lusognathus almadrava gen. et spec. nov., is proposed, making this the first named pterosaur species found within Portugal. The presence of this taxon adds yet another element to the fluvio-deltaic lagoonal environment that has been suggested as representative of the Lourinhã Formation in the Late Jurassic, further contributing to the diversity and distribution of gnathosaurines worldwide.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A new gnathosaurine (Pterosauria, Archaeopterodactyloidea) from the Late Jurassic of Portugal

Fernandes,

Beccari,

Kellner

et al. 2023

PeerJ

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“…6i) from the upper Shishugou Formation at Wucaiwan. Andres et al (2010) found it closest to Angustinaripterus longicephalus from the lower Shaximiao Formation of Sichuan, and in an analysis accompanying the description of the new species Dearc sgiathanach from the Middle Jurassic of Scotland, Jagielska et al (2022) found Dearc in an unresolved trichotomy with the two Chinese species.…”

Section: Pterosauriamentioning

confidence: 95%

The Shishugou Fauna of the Middle‐Late Jurassic Transition Period in the Junggar Basin of Western China

Clark

Eberth

et al. 2022

Acta Geologica Sinica (Eng)

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The Middle-Late Jurassic transition period is a critical period for the evolution of terrestrial vertebrates, but the global fossil record from this time is relatively poor. The Shishugou Fauna of this period has recently produced significant fossil remains of dinosaurs and other vertebrate groups, some representing the earliest known members of several dinosaurian groups and other vertebrate groups and some representing the best-known specimens of their group. These discoveries are significant for our understanding of the origin and evolution of several vertebrate lineages. Radiometric dating indicates that the fauna is aged approximately 159-164 Ma. Comparisons with other similarly-aged terrestrial faunas such as Shaximiao and Yanliao show both taxonomic similarities and differences between these faunas and indicate that the Junggar deposits might have preserved the most complete vertebrate fossil record for a Middle-Late Jurassic Laurasian terrestrial fauna.

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“…The recently named giant rhamphorhynchine Dearc has a small and incomplete sternum preserved (Jagielska et al, 2022). It is unusual in being somewhat heart-shaped but with broad and rectangular lateral 'wings' that extend anteriorly.…”

Section: Descriptionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The anatomy and diversity of the pterosaurian sternum

Hone

2023

Palaeontol Electron

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Despite a key role in anchoring major flight muscle groups, the sternum of pterosaurs has attracted relatively little attention in the scientific literature. Here the sterna of more than 60 pterosaur genera are described and compared. Despite the overall conservative nature of the pterosaurian skeleton, the sternum varies greatly within and between clades, and ontogenetically. The sternum appears to have been mostly cartilaginous in juvenile (flying) pterosaurs, which ossified in different patterns in various taxa and even individuals leading at least in part to the variation seen. Comparisons of the pterosaur sternum to other reptiles suggest that it is formed of the clavicles, interclavicle and sternal plated fused into a single unit, though the details of this remain uncertain. Further studies of this major anatomical feature are required given its importance in anchoring flight muscles and therefore locomotion.

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A skeleton from the Middle Jurassic of Scotland illuminates an earlier origin of large pterosaurs

Cited by 15 publications

References 48 publications

A new gnathosaurine (Pterosauria, Archaeopterodactyloidea) from the Late Jurassic of Portugal

A new gnathosaurine (Pterosauria, Archaeopterodactyloidea) from the Late Jurassic of Portugal

The Shishugou Fauna of the Middle‐Late Jurassic Transition Period in the Junggar Basin of Western China

The anatomy and diversity of the pterosaurian sternum

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