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New Long-Tailed Pterosaurs (Wukongopteridae) from Western Liaoning, China

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New Long-Tailed Pterosaurs (Wukongopteridae) from Western Liaoning, China “main” — 2010/11/9 — 15:41 — page 1045 — #1 Anais da Academia Brasileira de Ciências (2010) 82(4): 1045-1062 (Annals of the Brazilian Academy of Sciences) ISSN 0001-3765 www.scielo.br/aabc New long-tailed pterosaurs (Wukongopteridae) from western Liaoning, China , XIAOLIN WANG1, ALEXANDER W.A. KELLNER2∗, SHUNXING JIANG1 3, , XIN CHENG1 3, XI MENG1 and TAISSA RODRIGUES2 1Key Laboratory of Evolutionary Systematics of Vertebrates, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology Chinese Academy of Sciences, PO Box 643, Beijing, 100044, China 2Setor de Paleovertebrados, Museu Nacional/UFRJ, Quinta da Boa Vista s/n, São Cristóvão 20940-040 Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil 3Graduate University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China Manuscript received on August 3, 2010; accepted for publication on October 21, 2010 ABSTRACT Two almost complete long-tailed pterosaurs from the Linglongta, Jianchang County, western Liaoning, China, are described and represent new taxa referred to the non-pterodactyloid clade Wukongopteridae. Kunpengopterus sinensis gen. et sp. nov. differs from other members of this clade mainly by the rounded posterior region of the skull, thick lacrimal process of the jugal and lack of a bony premaxillary crest. This species further shows a soft tissue crest above the frontal, a comparatively larger wing finger, and the proximal segment of the second pedal phalanx ofthe fifth toe shorter than in other wukongopterids. The second new species is referred tothegenus Darwinopterus, D. linglongtaensis sp. nov. based on the posterior region of the skull. It further differs from other wukongopterid pterosaurs by the thin lacrimal process of the jugal, foramen on nasal process rounded, and by having the second pedal phalanx of the fifth toe less curved (115◦). Several differences among the Wukongopteridae can be found in the dentition and the feet, suggesting that they might have occupied slightly different ecological niches. The long-tailed Changchengopterus pani is tentatively referred to this clade and new diagnosis for the wukongopterids Wukongop- terus lii and Darwinopterus modularis is provided. Key words: Pterosauria, Wukongopteridae, Kunpengopterus, Darwinopterus, Liaoning, China. INTRODUCTION specimens were collected mainly in the Early Cre- taceous Yixian and Jiufotang Formations (e.g., He et Although the majority of pterosaur specimens consists al. 2004), where 13 and 16 species were recognized, of incomplete material (e.g., Costa and Kellner 2009, respectively (e.g., Wang et al. 2005, 2008, Lü et al. Ibrahim et al. 2010) that in several cases lack detailed 2008, Andres and Ji 2008, Lü 2010), some of which stratigraphic data (e.g., Kellner and Campos 1999), there have spurred controversy (e.g., Ji et al. 1999, Unwin et are some areas where complete material of these volant al. 2000, Wang and Zhou 2006, Lü et al. 2006). archosaurs have been found in surprisingly large num- More recently a number of pterosaurs were also bers. The main country that has furnished more ptero- recovered from older deposits that crop out particularly saur specimens than any other in the last decades is in the Linglongta region of the Jianchang County, west- China. This is due to several discoveries from the so ern Liaoning. The stratigraphy of these deposits is dis- called Jehol Biota (e.g., Chang et al. 2003). Pterosaur puted, with some regarding them as part of the Dao- Correspondence to: Xiaolin Wang hugou Formation (e.g., Wang et al. 2009), whereas oth- E-mail: [email protected] ∗Fellow CNPq and FAPERJ ers refer them to the Tiaojishan Formation (e.g., Lü et An Acad Bras Cienc (2010) 82 (4) “main” — 2010/11/9 — 15:41 — page 1046 — #2 1046 XIAOLIN WANG et al. al. 2010). There are also questions about the age of SYSTEMATIC PALEONTOLOGY these deposits, ranging from Middle to Late Jurassic PTEROSAURIA Kaup 1834 (Zhang 2002, Zhang et al. 2008, Lü et al. 2010) up WUKONGOPTERIDAE to the Early Cretaceous (e.g., Wang, Zhou et al. 2005, Wang, Kellner, Jiang and Meng 2009 He et al. 2004). So far, two pterosaur taxa have been recognized Type genus: Wukongopterus Wang, Kellner, Jiang and from Linglongta: Wukongopterus lii Wang et al. 2009 Meng 2009. and Darwinopterus modularis Lü et al. 2010. Another Definition: The most recent common ancestor of Wu- species, Changchengopterus pani Lü 2009, recovered kongopterus lii and Kunpengopterus sinensis gen. et sp. from a different locality (Mutoudeng Town, Qinglong nov. and all its descendants. County), apparently also comes from the same strati- Included taxa: Wukongopterus lii, Darwinopterus mo- graphic unit (Lü 2009, Wang et al. 2009, Lü et al. 2010). dularis, Darwinopterus linglongtaensis sp. nov., Kun- Here we report two specimens from Linglongta pengopterus sinensis gen. et sp. nov., and Changchen- that are also referable to the Wukongopteridae and rep- gopterus pani. resent new taxa: Kunpengopterus sinensis gen. et sp. nov. and Darwinopterus linglongtaensis sp. nov. We Synapomorphies: Non-pterodactyloid pterosaurs with also discuss the inclusion of previously described taxa confluent naris and antorbital fenestra; maxillary ramus to this unusual non-pterodactyloid clade, providing new of the jugal long, anteriorly projected and splint-like; diagnoses for them. free lateral nasal process; quadrate inclined backwards for about 120◦; mandibular symphysis short (less than Anatomical Abbreviations: car – carpus, cdv – cau- 25% the length of the lower jaw); cervical vertebrae dal vertebra, cor – coracoid, cs – cristospine, cv – cervical more elongated than in other non-pterodactyloids; cer- vertebra, d – dentary, dca – distal carpal series, dlca – dis- vical ribs reduced; length of the wing metacarpal about tal lateral carpal, dpc – deltopectoral crest, dv – dorsal half the length of the first wing finger phalanx; first wing vertebra, f – frontal, fe – femur, fish – fish scales and finger phalanx shorter than fourth wing finger phalanx other elements, fona – foramen nasale, fopn – fora- (modified from Wang et al. 2009). men pneumaticum, gas – gastralia, hu – humerus, hy – hyoid bone, il – ilium, is – ischium, j – jugal, l – left, Wukongopterus la – lacrimal, ltf – lower temporal fenestra, m – max- Wang, Kellner, Jiang and Meng 2009 illa, mcI – metacarpal I, mcII – metacarpal II, mcIII – Type species: Wukongopterus lii Wang, Kellner, Jiang metacarpal III, mcIV – metacarpal IV, n – nasal, and Meng 2009. naof – nasoantorbital fenestra, obfo – obturator fora- Diagnosis: The same as for the species. men, or – orbit, p – parietal, pel – pelvis, ph1d4 – first phalanx of manual digit IV, ph2d4 – second phalanx of Wukongopterus manual digit IV, ph3d4 – third phalanx of manual digit Wang, Kellner, Jiang and Meng 2009 IV, ph4d4 – fourth phalanx of manual digit IV, pl – pala- Emended diagnosis: Wukongopterid pterosaur with the tine, pm – premaxilla, pmcr – premaxillary crest, po – following combination of characters that distinguishes postorbital, pph2d5 – second phalanx of pedal digit V, it from other members of this clade (autapomorphies ppu – prepubis, pr – process, prca – proximal carpal, are marked with an asterisk): first two pairs of pre- prf – prefrontal, prn – processus nasalis, ptd – pteroid, maxillary teeth protruding beyond the dentary almost pu – pubis, q – quadrate, r – right, ra – radius, rapr vertical*; dentition formed by short cone-shaped and – retroarticular process, ri – rib, san – surangular, sca very pointed teeth; preacetabular portion of the ilium – scapula, scl – slerotic ring, ses – sesamoid, sq – reduced*; strongly curved second pedal phalanx of the squamosal, st – sternum, stis – soft tissue, stp – sternal fifth toe with an angle between the proximal and distal plate, sv – sacral vertebra, ti – tibia, ul – ulna. segment about 70◦*; proximal segment of the second An Acad Bras Cienc (2010) 82 (4) “main” — 2010/11/9 — 15:41 — page 1047 — #3 NEW LONG-TAILED PTEROSAURS (WUKONGOPTERIDAE) FROM CHINA 1047 pedal phalanx of the fifth toe elongated* (modified from less elongated han in Darwinopterus modularis; denti- Wang et al. 2009). tion formed by short cone-shaped teeth; lacrimal pro- cess of the jugal comparatively thin*; foramen on nasal Darwinopterus Lü, Unwin, Jin, Liu and Ji 2010 process rounded*; curved second pedal phalanx of the Type species: Darwinopterus modularis Lü, Unwin, Jin, fifth toe with an angle between the proximal and distal Liu and Ji 2010. segment about 115◦*. Included taxa: Darwinopterus modularis and Darwi- Description: The holotype of Darwinopterus linglong- nopterus linglongtaensis sp. nov. taensis is preserved in a slab formed by light grey shale. The specimen is almost completely articulated except Emended diagnosis: Wukongopterid pterosaur with the for some portions of the vertebral column that moved following combination of characters that distinguishes from their natural position as the right pelvic elements this genus from others of this clade: posterior region (ilium, pubis and ischium) (Fig. 1). Some elements are of the skull elongated; presence of a bony premaxillary missing, particularly from the neck. crest that starts about the anterior margin of the nasoan- torbital fenestra; dorsal margin of the premaxillary crest The skull of Darwinopterus linglongtaensis (IVPP serrated; thin nasal process; preacetabular region of the V16049) is exposed in right lateral view (Fig. 2). Un- ilium elongated (modified from Lü et al. 2010). fortunately part of the bone surface on the lateral side was broken off leaving only an impression on the
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