New Material of Chaoyangopterus (Pterosauria: Pterodactyloidea) from the Early Cretaceous Jiufotang Formation of Western Liaoning, China

N. Jb. Geol. Paläont. Abh. 257/3, 341– 350 Article published online June 2010

New material of Chaoyangopterus (Pterosauria: Pterodactyloidea) from the Early Cretaceous Jiufotang Formation of western Liaoning, China

Chang-Fu Zhou, Shenyang With 4 figures and 1 table

ZHOU, C.-F. (2010): Ne w material of Chaoyangopterus (Pterosauria: Pterodactyloidea) from the Early Cretaceous Jiufotang F ormation of western Liaoning, China. – N . Jb. Geol. P aläont. Abh., 257: 341–350; Stuttgart.

Abstract: A new edentulous pterosaur from the Yuanjiawa beds of the Earl y Cretaceous Jiufotang Formation in Yuanjiawa, Chaoyang, western Liaoning, China, is described. The fossil, an incomplete and scattered sk eleton, including par tial skull and lo wer jaws, is identif ied as Chaoyangopterus zhangi, based on similar propor tions of the limb bones. The specimen shows that Chaoyangopterus possessed moderately elongate mid-cervical vertebrae with low, blade-like neural spines and lack ed lateral pneumatic foramina. This discovery not only further supports a distinct Chaoyangopteridae within the Azhdarchoidea, but also provides a new scope for reviewing the evolution of the f amily Azhdarchidae.

Key words: Pterosauria, Pterodactyloidea, Azhdarchoidea, Chaoyangopterus, Early Cretaceous, Jiufotang Formation, western Liaoning.

1. Introduction Recently, 11 edentulous pterosaur taxa ha ve been named, including the tapejarids Sinopterus dongi Pterosaurs, along with feathered dinosaurs, basal WANG & ZHOU, 2003, Sinopterus gui LI et al., 2003, birds, and mammals, flourished in the Jehol Biota Huaxiapterus jii LÜ & YUAN, 2005, Huaxiapterus during the Earl y Cretaceous of w estern Liaoning corollatus LÜ et al., 2006 b, and Huaxiapterus ben- Province and adjacent areas of nor theastern China. xiensis LÜ et al. 2007, ha ving a deep snout and Until now, 26 nominal species of pterosaurs have been dentary crest; and the possib le azhdarchoids Chao - reported from the Jehol Group, including both basal yangopterus zhangi WANG & ZHOU, 2003, Jidapterus pterosaurs and pterodactyloids (A NDRES & JI 2008; edentus DONG et al., 2003, Eopteranodon lii LÜ & LÜ et al. 2006a, 2007, 2008; WANG et al. 2007, 2008a, ZHANG, 2005, Eoazhdarcho liaoxiensis LÜ & JI, 2005, b). Apart from the anuro gnathid Dendrorhynchoides Nemicolopterus crypticus WANG et al., 2008 b, and curvidentatus JI & JI, 1998, pterodactyloid pterosaurs Shenzhoupterus chaoyangensis LÜ et al., 2008, having dominated the Jehol Biota with 25 taxa, representing a low and strongly elongate snout and lower jaws. Of a significant diversity of pterosaurs in Cretaceous these azhdarchoids, Nemicolopterus crypticus is a tiny terrestrial ecosystems (WANG et al. 2005). pterosaur apparently specialized for an arboreal