Longchengpterus
Encyclopedia
Longchengpterus was a genus
of istiodactylid
pterodactyloid pterosaur
from the Barremian
-Aptian
-age Lower Cretaceous Jiufotang Formation
of Chaoyang, Liaoning
, China
.
The genus was named in 2006 by Wang Li, Li Li, Duan Ye and Cheng Shao-li. The genus name is derived from the old name of Chaoyang City, Longcheng, and a Latinised Greek pteron, "wing". The specific name honours Zhao Dayu
, the president of Shenyang Normal University
and a contributor to the founding of the Western Liaoning Institute of Mesozoic Paleontology.
Longchengpterus is based on holotype
LPM 00023, found at Yuanjiawa near Dapingfanga, a compressed incomplete skeleton and partial skull on a single plate. The posterior part of the skull has been damaged. It is elongated with a length of 262 millimetres. The large skull opening, the fenestra nasantorbitalis, is triangular in form and occupies much of the snout. The teeth in the upper jaw are concentrated in the front part and spaced far apart; their number is uncertain. The lower jaws have been well-preserved. They are 220 millimetres long and their symphysis
is short. Twelve teeth are present in the dentary. They have a sharp point but are laterally compressed, curving slightly inwards.
The humerus, 88 millimetres long, has a low deltopectoral crest and no pneumatic foramen. The fourth metacarpal is longer than the first phalanx of the wing finger. The wingspan was about two metres. The pelvis has been heavily damaged. Part of a femur is present, its estimated length was 91 millimetres.
Longchengpterus has been assigned to the Istiodactylidae
sharing with Istiodactylus
tooth form and count as well as a large skull opening. A notable difference is the lack of a broad snout. It was the second istiodactylid named and the first from China, adding to the known pterosaur diversity from Early Cretaceous layers of China.
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 istiodactylid
Istiodactylidae
Istiodactylidae is a small family of pterosaurs. This family was named in 2001 after the type genus Istiodactylus was discovered not to be a member of the genus Ornithodesmus....
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 Barremian
Barremian
The Barremian is an age in the geologic timescale between 130.0 ± 1.5 Ma and 125.0 ± 1.0 Ma). It is a subdivision of the Early Cretaceous epoch...
-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
Yixian Formation
The Yixian Formation is a geological formation in Jinzhou, Liaoning, People's Republic of China, that spans 11 million years during the early Cretaceous period...
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...
.
The genus was named in 2006 by Wang Li, Li Li, Duan Ye and Cheng Shao-li. The genus name is derived from the old name of Chaoyang City, Longcheng, and a Latinised Greek pteron, "wing". The specific name honours Zhao Dayu
Zhao Dayu
Zhao Dayu is a Chinese football Forward who played for China in the 1984 Asian Cup. He also played for Guangzhou- International Record :-External links:*...
, the president of Shenyang Normal University
Shenyang Normal University
Shenyang Normal University is a broad-based university in Shenyang, Liaoning Province, China under the provincial government.-History:Shenyang Normal University was established in 1951, as Northeastern Education College...
and a contributor to the founding of the Western Liaoning Institute of Mesozoic Paleontology.
Longchengpterus is based on holotype
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...
LPM 00023, found at Yuanjiawa near Dapingfanga, a compressed incomplete skeleton and partial skull on a single plate. The posterior part of the skull has been damaged. It is elongated with a length of 262 millimetres. The large skull opening, the fenestra nasantorbitalis, is triangular in form and occupies much of the snout. The teeth in the upper jaw are concentrated in the front part and spaced far apart; their number is uncertain. The lower jaws have been well-preserved. They are 220 millimetres long and their symphysis
Symphysis
A symphysis is a fibrocartilaginous fusion between two bones. It is a type of cartilaginous joint, specifically a secondary cartilaginous joint.1.A symphysis is an amphiarthrosis, a slightly movable joint.2.A growing together of parts or structures...
is short. Twelve teeth are present in the dentary. They have a sharp point but are laterally compressed, curving slightly inwards.
The humerus, 88 millimetres long, has a low deltopectoral crest and no pneumatic foramen. The fourth metacarpal is longer than the first phalanx of the wing finger. The wingspan was about two metres. The pelvis has been heavily damaged. Part of a femur is present, its estimated length was 91 millimetres.
Longchengpterus has been assigned to the Istiodactylidae
Istiodactylidae
Istiodactylidae is a small family of pterosaurs. This family was named in 2001 after the type genus Istiodactylus was discovered not to be a member of the genus Ornithodesmus....
sharing with Istiodactylus
Istiodactylus
Istiodactylus was a medium sized pterosaur from the Early Cretaceous period.-History and species:In 1887 Harry Govier Seeley named the remains of a fossil pelvis discovered on the Isle of Wight, Ornithodesmus cluniculus, thinking it was a bird. In 1901 he considered that it might have been a...
tooth form and count as well as a large skull opening. A notable difference is the lack of a broad snout. It was the second istiodactylid named and the first from China, adding to the known pterosaur diversity from Early Cretaceous layers of China.