Cheng Xin, Jiang Shunxing, Wang Xiaolin, Kellner Alexander W A
Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Beijing, China.
Laboratory of Systematics and Taphonomy of Fossil Vertebrates, Department of Geology and Paleontology, National Museum/UFRJ, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
PeerJ. 2017 Dec 1;5:e4102. doi: 10.7717/peerj.4102. eCollection 2017.
The Wukongopteridae compose a non-pterodactyloid clade of pterosaurs that are the most abundant flying reptiles in the deposits of the Middle-Late Jurassic Yanliao Biota. Until now, five species of three genera and two additional unnamed specimens have been described. Here we report on a new material, IVPP V 23674, that can be referred to the wukongopterid due to several features such as a comparably short nasoantorbital fenestra, the dorsally rising posterodorsal margin of the ischium, and the very short first pedal phalanx of digit V relative to metatarsal IV. IVPP V 23674 provides the first view of a wukongopterid palate, which differs from all other pterosaurs by having a very large postpalatine fenestra and laterally compressed choanae, indicating that the evolution of the pterosaur palate was more complex than previously thought. Sesamoid bones at the dorsal side of manual unguals are present and are reported for the first time in a wukongopterid suggesting an arboreal life-style for these pterosaurs.
悟空翼龙科是翼龙中的一个非翼手龙类分支，是中晚侏罗世燕辽生物群沉积中最为丰富的飞行爬行动物。到目前为止，已描述了三个属的五种以及另外两件未命名标本。在此，我们报道一件新材料IVPP V 23674，因其具有一些特征，如相对较短的鼻眶前孔、坐骨后缘背向升起以及相对于第四跖骨而言第五趾的第一趾骨非常短，故可归入悟空翼龙科。IVPP V 23674首次展示了悟空翼龙科的腭部，其与所有其他翼龙的不同之处在于具有非常大的腭后孔和侧向压缩的内鼻孔，这表明翼龙腭部的演化比之前认为的更为复杂。手部爪骨背侧存在籽骨，这在悟空翼龙科中是首次报道，表明这些翼龙具有树栖生活方式。
