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Vertebrata Palasiatica ›› 2003, Vol. 41 ›› Issue (01): 34-41.

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TWO NEW PTERODACTYLOID PTEROSAURS FROM THE EARLY CRETACEOUS JIUFOTANG FORMATION OF WESTERN LIAONING,CHINA

WANG XiaoLin, ZHOU ZhongHe   

  • Online:2003-03-15 Published:2003-03-15

辽西早白垩世九佛堂组两种新的翼手龙类化石

汪筱林, 周忠和   

Abstract:   In this paper we report two new pterodactyloid pterosaurs from the Jiufotang Formation in western Liaoning Province of northeast China. They are Chaoyangopterus zhangi gen. et sp. nov. (Nyctosauridae) and Liaoningopterus gui gen. et sp. nov. (Anhangueridae). The former not only represents the first such record in Asia but also the earliest record and most complete skeleton of the family. Some revisions of the family are made, such as having four wing digits and well-developed manual digits I~III. Liaoningopterus is the largest pterosaur ever discovered in China; its teeth also represent the largest known from any pterosaurs. Discoveries of two more pterosaurs from the Jiufotang Formation further show that two pterosaur assemblages could be recognized in the Jehol Group, represented by the Yixian Formation and Jiufotang Formation, respectively. The pterosaur assemblage of the Jiufotang Formation shows a lot resemblance to that of the Early Cretaceous Santana Formation (Aptian/ Albian) such as the Tapejaridae and Anhangueridae. The age of the Jiufotang Formation (Aptian) is slightly older than the Santana Formation.

摘要: 简要报道了辽西热河群上部九佛堂组两件新的翼手龙类化石, 即夜翼龙科(Nyctosauridae) 的张氏朝阳翼龙(新属、新种) Chaoyangopterus zhangi gen. et sp. nov. 和古魔翼龙科(Anhangueridae) 的顾氏辽宁翼龙(新属、新种) Liaoningopterus gui gen. et. sp. nov. 。前者为保存较完整的化石骨架,后者为一大型翼龙的头骨和部分头后骨骼化石。朝阳翼龙是夜翼龙科在亚洲大陆的首次确切的化石记录,也是层位最低和保存最完整的化石