Original paper
New material of Elanodactylus prolatus Andres Ji, 2008 (Pterosauria: Pterodactyloidea) from the Early Cretaceous Yixian Formation of western Liaoning, China
Zhou, Chang-Fu
Neues Jahrbuch für Geologie und Paläontologie - Abhandlungen Band 255 Heft 3 (2010), p. 277 - 286
published: Mar 1, 2010
DOI: 10.1127/0077-7749/2009/0022
ArtNo. ESP155025503003, Price: 29.00 €
Abstract
A new specimen of Elanodactylus prolatus Andres & Ji, 2008 is described from the Early Cretaceous Yixian Formation of Chaoyang, western Liaoning, China. The new specimen confirms the validity of E. prolatus and its unexpected feature, unique among pterodactyloids, the first wing phalanx of E. prolatus being shorter than the second and third wing phalanges. Additionally, the specimen provides new information about the pelvic girdle and hind limb: puboischiadic plate with a prominent, tongue-like ventral process; a semicircular prepubis; long and slender metatarsal III; and strongly reduced pedal digit V. Moreover, the elongate second and third wing phalanges possibly represent an independently evolved feature, which convergent on that seen in primitive members of the rhamphorhynchoids. Especially, when combined with recent discoveries of the Anurognathidae, this feature of Elanodactylus further increases the complexity of the pattern of wing phalanx proportions among Pterosauria.
Keywords
pterosauria • pterodactyloidea • ctenochasmatidae • early cretaceous • yixian formation • western liaoning