Jeholopterus? sp. (Lü et al., 2006; CAGS–Z070) Latest Jurassic/Early Cretaceous, ~150-130 mya, ~10 cm snout-to-vent length, for,merly, CAGS IG 02-81 was originally considered a Dendrorhynchoides specimen then a Jeholopterus specimen. Here the CAGS specimen nested as a sister to Jeholopterus, derived from a sister to Anurognathus and it phlyogenetically preceded Batrachognathus.
Distinct from Dendrorhynchoides and Anurognathus, the skull of the CAGS specimen was wider with a larger orbit. The nares faced anteriorly as the premaxilla was oriented transvsersely. In dorsal view the skull was nearly circular. The orbit was larger than the antorbital fenestra. The postorbital was robust. The back of the skull curved downward.
The cervicals were small, no larger than the dorsals. The dorsal ribs were not robust, nor was the torso shortened. The sacrum was cooosified. The tail was as long as the dorsal series and made up of dozens of short vertebrae.
The sternal complex was triangular and broader than long. The forelimbs were robust with enlarged manual claws. The humerus was more than twice as long as ther sternal complex. The manus (sans the wing finger) was larger than the pes. The disarticulated distal wing bones were found beneath the body.
The pelvis was shallow, especially the ventral portion. The metatarsus was robust and the unguals decreased in size laterally with a rather short digit V.
The CAGS specimen preserves a bear-like pelage of pycnofibers around all the meaty parts of the body. The wing membranes were largely torn from the bones, but remained close to the carcass. The apparently fibered propatagium was due to a coincident brachiopatagium segment beneath it. |
