New Pterosaur Fossils Unearthed In China

Fossils found at the Turpan-Hami Basin provide new information about the biology of pterosaurs from the Early Cretaceous.

AsianScientist (Jun 6, 2014) – Records of pterosaurs, flying reptiles that existed from the late Triassic to the end of the Cretaceous Period, used to be scarce; with only four pterosaur eggs found till date. However, a team of scientists from China and Brazil recently revealed a new pterosaur-rich area with potentially thousands of bones at the Turpan-Hami Basin in northwestern China, providing new insights into the species.

Led by Dr. Wang Xiaolin from the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology (IVPP) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the team found a population of a new pterosaur species, which they have named Hamipterus tianshanesis gen. et sp. nov. Identifying two significantly different morphologies in the size, shape and robustness of the skull crests, the team interpreted their population to consist of two sexes, or to exhibit sexual dimorphism.

According to the research, which was published in Current Biology, the eggshells discovered on site were revealed to contain a thin calcareous external hard shell followed by a soft membrane, hinting at similarities to those of some modern “soft” snake eggs. Differences identified in the development of the rostrums from fossil examinations also pointed toward ontogenetic variation within the species.

“We suggest that this new pterosaur nested in colonies and thus exhibited gregarious behavior, a possible general trend for at least derived pterodactyloid pterosaurs,” wrote the authors. “Sites like the one reported here provide further evidence regarding the behavior and biology of this amazing group of flying reptiles that has no parallel in modern time.”

The article can be found at: Wang et al. (2014) Sexually Dimorphic Tridimensionally Preserved Pterosaurs and Their Eggs from China.

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Source: Chinese Academy of Sciences; Photo: Eden, Janine and Jim/Flickr/CC.
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Alan Aw is a maths enthusiast who likes sharing the fun and beauty of science with others. Besides reading, he enjoys running, badminton, and listening to (and occasionally playing) Bach or Zez Confrey.

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