Huaxiapterus
Encyclopedia
"Huaxiapterus" is a genus
of tapejarid
pterodactyloid pterosaur
from the Aptian
-age Lower Cretaceous Jiufotang Formation
of Chaoyang, Liaoning
, China
. It is the second genus of tapejarid from this formation, after Sinopterus
, and may be more derived
. Two species are known.
The type species
of "Huaxiapterus" was H. jii, is based on
GMN-03-11-001, a nearly complete skeleton and skull. While it was initially separated from the closely related Sinopterus by several characters including its smaller size and larger crest, later studies showed that it was in fact more closely related to Sinopterus dongi than to either of the other two species of "Huaxiapterus". Therefore, most researchers have since considered H. jii a species of Sinopterus, as Sinopterus jii. Because H. jii was the type species of its genus, Huaxiapterus is a junior synonym of sinopterus and the other two species will be re-named in the future.
The second species, "H." corollatus, is based on ZMNH M8131, another nearly complete skeleton from the same formation. The third species "H." benxiensis, based on specimen BXGM V0011, also comes from Liaoning.
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
of tapejarid
Tapejaridae
Tapejaridae are a family of pterodactyloid pterosaurs from the early Cretaceous period. Members are currently known from Brazil and China, where the most primitive genera are found, indicating that the family has an Asian origin....
pterodactyloid pterosaur
Pterosaur
Pterosaurs were flying reptiles of the clade or order Pterosauria. They existed from the late Triassic to the end of the Cretaceous Period . Pterosaurs are the earliest vertebrates known to have evolved powered flight...
from the Aptian
Aptian
The Aptian is an age in the geologic timescale or a stage in the stratigraphic column. It is a subdivision of the Early or Lower Cretaceous epoch or series and encompasses the time from 125.0 ± 1.0 Ma to 112.0 ± 1.0 Ma , approximately...
-age Lower Cretaceous Jiufotang Formation
Jiufotang Formation
The Jiufotang Formation is an Early Cretaceous geological formation in Chaoyang, Liaoning which has yielded fossils of feathered dinosaurs, primitive birds, pterosaurs, and other organisms. . It is a member of the Jehol group. The exact age of the Jiufotang has been debated for years, with...
of Chaoyang, Liaoning
Liaoning
' is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the northeast of the country. Its one-character abbreviation is "辽" , a name taken from the Liao River that flows through the province. "Níng" means "peace"...
, China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
. It is the second genus of tapejarid from this formation, after Sinopterus
Sinopterus
Sinopterus was a genus of tapejarid pterodactyloid pterosaur from the Aptian-age Lower Cretaceous Jiufotang Formation of Chaoyang, Liaoning, China. Three species have been classified in this genus, though only two are generally considered to be valid...
, and may be more derived
Derived
In phylogenetics, a derived trait is a trait that is present in an organism, but was absent in the last common ancestor of the group being considered. This may also refer to structures that are not present in an organism, but were present in its ancestors, i.e. traits that have undergone secondary...
. Two species are known.
The type species
Type species
In biological nomenclature, a type species is both a concept and a practical system which is used in the classification and nomenclature of animals and plants. The value of a "type species" lies in the fact that it makes clear what is meant by a particular genus name. A type species is the species...
of "Huaxiapterus" was H. jii, is based on
Holotype
A holotype is a single physical example of an organism, known to have been used when the species was formally described. It is either the single such physical example or one of several such, but explicitly designated as the holotype...
GMN-03-11-001, a nearly complete skeleton and skull. While it was initially separated from the closely related Sinopterus by several characters including its smaller size and larger crest, later studies showed that it was in fact more closely related to Sinopterus dongi than to either of the other two species of "Huaxiapterus". Therefore, most researchers have since considered H. jii a species of Sinopterus, as Sinopterus jii. Because H. jii was the type species of its genus, Huaxiapterus is a junior synonym of sinopterus and the other two species will be re-named in the future.
The second species, "H." corollatus, is based on ZMNH M8131, another nearly complete skeleton from the same formation. The third species "H." benxiensis, based on specimen BXGM V0011, also comes from Liaoning.
External links
- Huaxiapterus in The Pterosauria
- Two reconstructions of Huaxiapterus at The Grave Yard