The Early Cretaceous terrestrial ecosystems of the Jehol Biota based on food-web and energy-flow models

AbstractCtenochasmatid pterosaurs flourished and diversified in the Early Cretaceous Jehol Biota. Here, a partial mandible of Forfexopterus is described based on a three-dimensional reconstruction using high-resolution X-ray Computed Tomography (CT) data. The first nine pairs of functional teeth of the rostral dentition revealed along with their replacements. The functional teeth are evenly arranged with a tooth density of 2.2 teeth/cm. The tooth crown is distinctly reduced from its base to the tip, and framed by two weak ridges, possibly as a pair of vestigial carinae. The replacement teeth are sharp and pointed, and have erupted slightly against the medial surface of the functional teeth. Surprisingly, tooth wear is observed in this specimen, the first record of tooth-tooth occlusion in ctenochasmatids. The wear facets exhibit high-angled lingual and lower-angled labial facets, implying a tooth-tooth occlusion in pterosaur clade. This discovery indicates that the Jehol ctenochasmatids possibly employed a more active feeding strategy than other filter-feeding pterosaurs (e.g. Ctenochasma, Pterodaustro, Gnathosaurus).Supplementary material at https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.c.5722060

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A new wing skeleton of <i>Forfexopterus</i> (Pterosauria: Ctenochasmatidae) from the Early Cretaceous Jehol Biota reveals a developmental variation

Fossil Record ◽

10.5194/fr-23-191-2020 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 23 (2) ◽

pp. 191-196

Author(s):

Chang-Fu Zhou ◽

Jiahao Wang ◽

Ziheng Zhu

Keyword(s):

Sexual Dimorphism ◽

Early Cretaceous ◽

Skeletal Maturity ◽

Filter Feeding ◽

Jehol Biota ◽

Western Liaoning ◽

Developmental Variation ◽

The Third

Abstract. In the Jehol Biota, the filter-feeding ctenochasmatid pterosaurs flourished with a high biodiversity. Here, we report a new wing skeleton of the ctenochasmatid Forfexopterus from the Early Cretaceous Jiufotang Formation in Jianchang, western Liaoning, China. The specimen exhibits the sole autapomorphy, the first wing phalanx shorter than the second and longer than the third. Interestingly, it exhibits a skeletal maturity with co-ossified elements, but it is only about 75 % the size of the immature holotype. This discrepancy reveals developmental variation of Forfexopterus, but its relationship with sexual dimorphism needs to be certain by more available material.

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Energy Flow in the Southern Ocean Food Web

Antarctic Nutrient Cycles and Food Webs ◽

10.1007/978-3-642-82275-9_78 ◽

1985 ◽

pp. 573-580 ◽

Cited By ~ 15

Author(s):

A. Clarke

Keyword(s):

Southern Ocean ◽

Food Web ◽

Energy Flow

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A new eucryptodiran turtle from the Early Cretaceous Jiufotang Formation of western Liaoning, China

Zootaxa ◽

10.11646/zootaxa.2676.1.3 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 2676 (1) ◽

pp. 45 ◽

Cited By ~ 16

Author(s):

CHANG-FU ZHOU

Keyword(s):

Early Cretaceous ◽

Cladistic Analysis ◽

Yixian Formation ◽

Liaoning Province ◽

Jehol Biota ◽

Western Liaoning ◽

The Third

A new eucryptodiran turtle from the Jiufotang Formation of Lamadong, Jianchang County, represents the third turtle taxon, Liaochelys jianchangensis gen. et sp. nov., from the Jehol Biota of western Liaoning Province, China. This taxon is diagnosed by a character combination including a midline contact of the prefrontals, vertebrals wider than long, third costals strongly expanded distally, and a medial contact of the eighth costals. A preliminary cladistic analysis places Liaochelys jianchangensis along the phylogenetic stem of Cryptodira in a position more derived than the taxa, Manchurochelys manchoukuoensis and Ordosemys liaoxiensis, known from the underlying Yixian Formation. This discovery opens a new window into the osteology and evolution of primitive eucryptodiran turtles.

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