Discovery of a pterodactylid pterosaur from the Yixian Formation of western Liaoning,China

作     者：WANG Xiaolin & LU Junchang1. Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100044, China 2. College of Earth Sciences and Resources, China University of Geo-sciences, Beijing 100083, China 3. Department of Geological Sciences, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, TX 75275, USA 

作者机构：Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing 100044 China 

出 版 物：《Chinese Science Bulletin》 (CHINESE SCIENCE BULLETIN)

年 卷 期：2001年第46卷第13期

页      面：1112-1117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：This work was supported by the ChineseAcademy of Sciences (Grant Nos. KZ951-B1-410 and KZCX3-J-03) the Major Basic Research Project of the Ministry of Science and Technology of China (Grant No. G2000077700) the National Natural Science Foundation of 

主　　题：western Liaoning Early Cretaceous Yixian Formation Pterodactylidae. 

摘      要：A well-preserved pterosaur with nearly complete skull is described from the Lower Cretaceous Yixian Formation at Sihetun in western Liaoning. It is characterized by a low and long crestless skull, slender and pointed teeth, long metacarpal, nearly equal length of metatarsals I -III and short pedal digit V. It is referred to a new genus and species of the family Pterodactylidae: Haopterus gracilis gen. et sp. nov. This is the first pterosaur with a nearly complete skull from the Jehol Biota; it also represents the first non-controversial fossil record of Pterodactylidae in Asia. Haopterus is more derived than Pterodactylus from the Late Jurassic Solnhofen in Germany. This discovery extends the distribution of the family Pterodactylidae from Europe and Africa to Asia and its latest occurrence from the Late Jurassic to the Early Cretaceous. The discovery of Haopterus gracilis provides further evidence for the study of the originand radiation of the Jehol Biota; it also sheds new light on the evolution and