[Paleontology • 2017] Douzhanopterus zhengi from the Late Jurassic of western Liaoning, China • New Evidence from China for the Nature of the Pterosaur Evolutionary Transition ---ScRaBBlE

Douzhanopterus zhengi 

Wang, Jiang, Zhang, Cheng, Yu, Li, Wei & Wang, 2017

DOI: 10.1038/srep42763 

Abstract

Pterosaurs are extinct flying reptiles, the first vertebrates to achieve powered flight. Our understanding of the evolutionary transition between basal, predominantly long-tailed forms to derived short-tailed pterodactyloids remained poor until the discovery of Wukongopterus and Darwinopterus in western Liaoning, China. In this paper we report on a new genus and species, Douzhanopterus zhengi, that has a reduced tail, 173% the length of the humerus, and a reduced fifth pedal digit, whose first phalange is ca. 20% the length of metatarsal III, both unique characters to Monofenestra. The morphological comparisons and phylogenetic analysis presented in this paper demonstrate that Douzhanopterus is the sister group to the ‘Painten pro-pterodactyloid’ and the Pterodactyloidea, reducing the evolutionary gap between long- and short-tailed pterosaurs.

Systematic palaeontology

Pterosauria Kaup, 1834

Monofenestrata Lü, Unwin, Jin, Liu et Ji, 2010

Douzhanopterus zhengi gen. et sp. nov.

Figure 1: The holotype of Douzhanopterus zhengi gen. et sp. nov.
 (a) Part of the holotype; (b) close up of the tail, green arrows indicating the anterior and posterior ends of each caudal vertebra; (c) close up of the right foot. Scale bars are 50 mm, 10 mm, and 10 mm in (a,b and c), respectively. 

Etymology: Douzhan, Chinese pinyin, the name of a buddha granted by Wukong, the Monkey King in the Chinese legend, indicating the relationship between this new pterosaur and other non-pterodactyloid monofenestratans, such as Wukongopterus, pterus, Greek, referring wings; species name in honor of Professor Xiaoting Zheng, who supported our research on this specimen.

Locality and Horizon: Linglongta, Jianchang, Liaoning, China; Daohugou Bed (or Tiaojishan Formation), Late Jurassic.

Diagnosis: Monofenestratan pterosaur diagnosed by autapomorphies including a reduced tail that is 173% the length of the humerus as well as a reduced fifth pedal digit, whose first phalange is ca. 20% length of metatarsal III. It can be further distinguished from other monofenestratan pterosaurs on the basis of the following combination of characters: the length of the mid-cervical 2.5–3.5 times of width; 22 caudal vertebrae with elongated zygapophyses and chevrons; pteroid over half length of ulna; tibia ca. 180% length of femur, and; fifth pedal digit V having two phalanges.

.....

Xiaoli Wang, Shunxing Jiang, Junqiang Zhang, Xin Cheng, Xuefeng Yu, Yameng Li, Guangjin Wei & Xiaolin Wang. 2017. New Evidence from China for the Nature of the Pterosaur Evolutionary Transition. Scientific Reports 7, 42763. DOI: 10.1038/srep42763 

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روابط التحميل والمشاهدة، الروابط المباشرة للتحميل

من هنا

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من هنا

شاهد هذا الفيديو القصير لطريقة التحميل البسيطة

منتدى مدونات بلوجر جاهزة بآلاف المواضيع والمشاركات

كيف تحصل على مدونة جاهزة بآلاف المواضيع والمشاركات من هنا

شاهد قناة منتدى مدونات بلوجر جاهزة بألاف المواضيع والمشاركات على اليوتيوب لمزيد من الشرح من هنا

رابط مدونة منتدى مدونات بلوجر جاهزة بآلاف المواضيع والمشاركات في أي وقت حــــتى لو تم حذفها من هنا
شاهد صفحة منتدى مدونات بلوجر جاهزة بألاف المواضيع والمشاركات على الفيس بوك لمزيد من الشرح من هنا

تعرف على ترتيب مواضيع منتدى مدونات بلوجر جاهزة بآلاف المواضيع والمشاركات (حتى لا تختلط عليك الامور) من هنا

ملاحظة هامة: كل عمليات تنزيل، رفع، وتعديل المواضيع الجاهزة تتم بطريقة آلية، ونعتذر عن اي موضوع مخالف او مخل بالحياء مرفوع بالمدونات الجاهزة بآلاف المواضيع والمشاركات، ولكم ان تقوموا بحذف هذه المواضيع والمشاركات والطريقة بسيطة وسهلة. ــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــسلامـ.

[Paleontology • 2017] Premaxillary Crest Variation within the Wukongopteridae (Reptilia, Pterosauria) and Comments on Cranial Structures in Pterosaurs ---ScRaBBlE

Figure 1: The variation of cranial crest within the Wukongopteridae.
Kunpengopterus sinensis (IVPP V 16047), (a) complete skull and (b) close-up of the area in the white frame of a, showing the flat crestless skull roof;
holotype of Darwinopterus linglongtaensis (IVPP V 16049), (c) complete skull and (d) close-up of the area in the white frame of c; new specimen (IVPP V 17957), (e) complete skull (inverted), and (f) close-up of the area in the white frame of e; IVPP V 17959 (g) complete skull (inverted), and (h) close-up of the area in the white frame of g, with arrow 1 pointing at the low premaxillary crest and arrow 2 pointing at the crestless middle portion of the premaxilla;
Darwinopterus robustodens (holotype, HGM 41HIII-0309A) (i) complete skull based on Lü et al. 2011b), and (j) close-up of the area in the white frame of i.

Scale bar: 50mm in a, c, e, g, i; 10mm in b, d, f, h, j. 

Cheng, Jiang, Wang & Kellner, 2017.   DOI: 10.1590/0001-3765201720160742 

ABSTRACT

Cranial crests show considerable variation within the Pterosauria, a group of flying reptiles that developed powered flight. This includes the Wukongopteridae, a clade of non-pterodactyloids, where the presence or absence of such head structures, allied with variation in the pelvic canal, have been regarded as evidence for sexual dimorphism. Here we discuss the cranial crest variation within wukongopterids and briefly report on a new specimen (IVPP V 17957). We also show that there is no significant variation in the anatomy of the pelvis of crested and crestless specimens. We further revisit the discussion regarding the function of cranial structures in pterosaurs and argue that they cannot be dismissed a priori as a valuable tool for species recognition.

Key words: Wukongopteridae; Pterosauria; cranial crest; sexual dimorphism; China

.....

CONCLUSION: 

The function of cranial crests in pterosaurs will be a matter of contempt until more material becomes available. Although the comparisons of the pelvic elements of wukongopterids is interesting, one cannot overemphasize the reduced number of specimens on which this and other studies are based. Variations introduced by taphonomy, allied with morphological differences as a result of ontogeny and other factors cannot be adequately assessed with three or so individuals. Notwithstanding these shortcomings, the explanation of the evolutionary function of cranial crests as sexual dimorphism (including mutual sexual selection, Hone et al. 2012) should not be used as the default option. As has been pointed out before (e.g., Kellner and Campos 2002a, 2002b), it seems quite unlikely that once a pterosaur developed a cranial crest (as perhaps the so called “bizarre structures” in other reptiles), this structure could not have performed a variety of functions. Despite the limitation of the available data, it seems difficult not to acknowledge that these quite distinct anatomical features have played a major role in species recognition, as has been put forward for other reptiles (e.g., Padian and Horner 2011). This has been shown to be true at least for some material of the Pteranodon-complex and seems also to have been the case for the Wukongopteridae. Perhaps more detailed studies of deposits with large amount of specimens that might have been part of the same or closely related populations like the occurrences of Caiuajara dobruskii and Hamipterus tianshanensis (and others that might come to light) have the potential to provide a step further into the discussion of several paleobiological questions concerning flying reptiles, including sexual dimorphism and ontogeny (Kellner 2015). Meanwhile the variation in shapes and sizes of cranial crests that are found in pterosaurs, associated with other morphological features, should not be understated as being a powerful tool for understanding their diversity.

  Xin Cheng, Shunxing Jiang, Xiaolin Wang and Alexander W. A. Kellner. 2017. Premaxillary Crest Variation within the Wukongopteridae (Reptilia, Pterosauria) and Comments on Cranial Structures in Pterosaurs. Anais da Academia Brasileira de Ciências. [An. Acad. Bras. Ciênc.] 89(1); Epub Feb 09, 2017.  DOI: 10.1590/0001-3765201720160742 

ResearchGate.net/publication/313538541_Premaxillary_crest_variation_within_the_Wukongopteridae_Reptilia_Pterosauria_and_comments_on_cranial_structures_in_pterosaurs

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روابط التحميل والمشاهدة، الروابط المباشرة للتحميل

من هنا

او

من هنا

شاهد هذا الفيديو القصير لطريقة التحميل البسيطة

منتدى مدونات بلوجر جاهزة بآلاف المواضيع والمشاركات

كيف تحصل على مدونة جاهزة بآلاف المواضيع والمشاركات من هنا

شاهد قناة منتدى مدونات بلوجر جاهزة بألاف المواضيع والمشاركات على اليوتيوب لمزيد من الشرح من هنا

رابط مدونة منتدى مدونات بلوجر جاهزة بآلاف المواضيع والمشاركات في أي وقت حــــتى لو تم حذفها من هنا
شاهد صفحة منتدى مدونات بلوجر جاهزة بألاف المواضيع والمشاركات على الفيس بوك لمزيد من الشرح من هنا

تعرف على ترتيب مواضيع منتدى مدونات بلوجر جاهزة بآلاف المواضيع والمشاركات (حتى لا تختلط عليك الامور) من هنا

ملاحظة هامة: كل عمليات تنزيل، رفع، وتعديل المواضيع الجاهزة تتم بطريقة آلية، ونعتذر عن اي موضوع مخالف او مخل بالحياء مرفوع بالمدونات الجاهزة بآلاف المواضيع والمشاركات، ولكم ان تقوموا بحذف هذه المواضيع والمشاركات والطريقة بسيطة وسهلة. ــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــسلامـ.