New Material of Zhenyuanopterus(Pterosauria) from the Early Cretaceous Yixian Formation of Western Liaoning

作     者：TENG Fangfang L Junchang WEI Xuefang HSIAO Yufu Michael PITTMAN 

作者机构：Xinghai Paleontological Museum of Dalian Institute of Geology Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences Cores and Samples Center of Land and Resources China Geological Survey Geoscience Institute Chinese Culture University Vertebrate Palaeontology Laboratory Department of Earth Sciences the University of Hong Kong 

出 版 物：《Acta Geologica Sinica(English Edition)》 (地质学报（英文版）)

年 卷 期：2014年第88卷第1期

页      面：1-5页

核心收录：

学科分类：070903[理学-古生物学与地层学(含：古人类学)] 0709[理学-地质学] 07[理学] 

基　　金：financially supported by grants from the Natural Science Foundation of China (41272022, 90914003) the Basic Outlay of Scientific Research Work from the Ministry of Science and Technology (2011-SYS-02) 

主　　题：Boreopteridae Zhenyuanopterus ontogeny 

摘      要：A new partial specimen of Zhenyuanopterus from the Lower Cretaceous Yixian Formation of Beipiao city, Liaoning Province is described. This specimen is slightly larger than half the size of the holotype. Although it is not complete, it provides new information on Zhenyuanopterus both in taxonomy and ontogeny： the total number of the caudal vertebrae is 15; the forelimb is more robust than the hindlimb; the growth rate of the humerus and femur is constant, and their ratio is about 1. Compared with the holotype, the scapula and coracoid grow faster than the humerus and the femur. The scapula and coracoid may slow their growth rate after a certain ontogenetic stage. The pectoral girdle, robust forelimb and weak hindlimb of the new material（XHPM1088） together with data from the holotype of Zhenyuanopterus indicate that this taxon spent less time on land than in the sky or other ecological niches such as forests and cliffs.