Anhanguera

Anhanguera piscator IVPP V 13291 (A. bittersdorffi No. 40 Pz-DBAV-UERJ Campos & Kellner, 1985; A. santanae AMNH 22555 Wellnhofer 1985; A. piscator, Kellner and Tomida 2000) Aptian, Early Cretaceous ~110 mya, ~60 cm skull length, was derived from a sister to Liaoningopterus and was the most derived pterosaur in this lineage, leaving no descendants.

Distinct from Liaoningopterus, the skull of Anhaguera had a longer premaxillary crest and smaller teeth. The anterior dentary formed a keel. The squamosal did not rise to form an "ear" shape of the lateral temporal fenestra.

The tail was robust and had elongated vertebrae distally.

Distinct from Brasileodactylus, manual 4.1 extended to the elbow when folded. Postcranially Anhanguera was most similar to SMNS PAL 1136, but without such a deep sternal complex keel and deep torso.

The foot had very short metatarsals and elongated phalanges.

The ornithocheirid family tree is here. The entire pterosaur family tree is here.

Above is a recent attempt by Witton and Habib (2010) at reconstructing the bones and muscles of Anhanguera. The pteroid is articulated with the preaxial carpal apart from the proximal syncarpal following Bennett (2007). Fingers I-III are too short to touch the ground and ride on the (in flight) dorsal surface of metacarpal IV. This was done to ensure that the wing finger was in contact with the ground in order to enable a quadrupedal launch powered by the forelimbs. Unfortunately no pterosaur manus tracks record any contact between the ground and digit IV. It was elevated when folded. Only fingers I-III contacted the ground. Besides, metacarpal III is always as long as mc IV and the fingers always extend beyond metacarpal IV, so this illustration presents a false image of known data.

The image below corrects these errors by articulating the pteroid with the proximal syncarpal (Peters 2009) and configures fingers I-III beneath the extensor tendon process of digit IV and at the correct size. Note that only metacarpal III is in contact with metacarpal IV, as in all other tetrapods and pterosaurs.

If the flexor tendon was attached to the flexor tendon process, as shown in the Witton and Habib (2010) illustration (above), the wing could only be folded until it was at right angles to the metacarpus. Thereafter there would be no more pull left in the muscle and tendon. That problem is solved when the insertion points are more distal, as in living lizards. In that configuration the muscle can continue to pull until the wing finger is fully flexed against the metacarpus, as shown in the wing folding illustration. Note that the gliding joint at the metacarpophalangeal interface permits digit III to rotate posteriorly, matching known manus ichnites.

The Scaphognathia include Pterorhynchus, Scaphognathus, their most recent common ancestor and all of its descendents. One major clade includes the Cycnorhamphidae and Ornithocheiridae. The other major clade, originating with Ornithocephalus includes Pterodactylus, Germanodactylus and others.

See the family tree of the Pterosauria here.

Bennett SC 2007. Articulation and Function of the Pteroid Bone of Pterosaurs. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 27(4):881–891

Campos, D de A and Kellner AW 1985. Un novo exemplar de Anhanguera blittersdorffi (Reptilia, Pterosauria) da formaçao Santana, Cretaceo Inferior do Nordeste do Brasil." In Congresso Brasileiro de Paleontologia, Rio de Janeiro, Resumos, p. 13.

Habib M 2008. Comparative evidence for quadrupedal launch in pterosaurs. Pp 161-168 in Buffetaut E, and DWE Hone, eds. Wellnhofer Pterosaur Meeting: Zitteliana B28

Kellner AWA and Tomida Y 2000. Description of a New Species of Anhangueridae (Pterodactyloidea) with Comments on the Pterosaur Fauna from the Santana formation (Aptian-Albian), Northeastern Brazil. National Science Museum, Tokyo, Monographs, 17: 1-135.

Peters D 2009. A Reinterpretation of Pteroid Articulation in Pterosaurs. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 29(4):1327-1330.

Wellnhofer P 1985. Neue Pterosaurier aus der Santana-Formation (Apt) der Chapada do Araripe, Brasilien. Paläontographica A 187: 105–182.

Witton M and Habib M 2010. On the size and flight diversity of giant pterosaurs, the use of birds as pterosaur analogues and comments on pterosaur flightlessness. PLoS ONE. 5(11): e13982. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0013982

wiki/Anhanguera

Scaphognathus n110

TM 13104 - n34

Gmu 10157

Ornithocheiridae

Yixianopterus

JZMP embryo

MSNM V 3881 Lebanon