Mini-pterodactyl discovered in China

Mini-pterodactyl discovered in China

Scientists have discovered a previously unknown species of pterodactyl in northeastern China.

Life reconstructions of Nemicolopterus crypticus, a small derived flying reptile that lived in the gingko forests that existed some 120 million years ago in present China. Top image courtesy of Chuang Zhao, lower reconstruction by Michael Skrepnickaption.

The flying reptile, named Nemicolopterus crypticus, lived in gingko forests that existed some 120 million years ago in present China. With a windspan of 10 inches (250 mm), the species is one of the smallest pterosaurs known to date. By comparison, some pterodactyl from the Late Cretaceous period were known to have a wingspan exceeding 33 feet (10 meters).

Nemicolopterus crypticus was also toothless, a previously unknown characteristic for a pterosaur.

“This flying reptile is the smallest arboreal pterosaur, the smallest toothless pterosaur, and the smallest Cretaceous pterosaur in the world,” lead author Xiaolin Wang told mongabay.com. “When we discribed its morphological features in detail, we realized that this was a miniature species and young individual, but not a hatchling that had just left the egg.”

“Nemicolopterus crypticus is a basal dsungaripteroid in a sister-group relationship with the Ornithocheiroidea,” Wang continued, “The Ornithocheiroidea includes the [best known] pterosaurs, some reaching gigantic sizes with wingspans of 6 m (Pteranodon) and 10 m (Quetzalcoatlus)… these originated from crestless and toothless small insectivorous arboreal forms.”

Xiaolin Wang eat al (2008). Discovery of a rare arboreal forest dwelling flying reptile (Pterosauria, Pterodactyloidea) from China. PNAS for the week of February 11, 2008.

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Rhett Butler Editor

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DinosaursFossilsGreenPaleontologyChina

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