A new pterosaur tracksite from the Lower Cretaceous of Wuerho, Junggar Basin, China: inferring the first putative pterosaur trackmaker

We report the discovery of 114 small pterosaur footprints preserved in a greyish-green fine sandstone slab comprising 57 manus imprints and 57 pes imprints. Due to the chaotic distribution of footprints, the trackways are difficult to recognize. The pes imprints are sub-triangular and enlongate, the metatarsal part is roughly subequal to the digital part. The manus imprints are asymmetrical, longer than wide, and the lengths of digits I–III gradually increase. According to the diagnostic features of the Wuerho small pterosaur tracks, the present set was classified as Pteraichnus and is different from the nine reported valid ichnospecies of Pteraichnus. We therefore propose a new ichnospecies, Pteraichnus wuerhoensis isp. nov. The description is based on the anatomical characteristics (lengths of digits I–IV, length of digital part, length of metatarsal part) extracted from the pes imprints and comparisons with the pes bone fossils of Noripterus complicidens. We infer that the footprints were probably left by N. complicidens and the total width of the wings was presumably 2–2.3 m. In addition, the high density (365 per square meter) and varied sizes of the Wuerho small pterosaur tracks suggest that many pterosaurs of different ages lived in Huangyangquan Reservoir tracksite 1 area. Thus the trackmakers may have had gregarious behavior.

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New information on Lonchognathosaurus (Pterosauria: Dsungaripteridae) from the Lower Cretaceous of the southern Junggar Basin (NW China)

Cretaceous Research ◽

10.1016/j.cretres.2021.104808 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 124 ◽

pp. 104808 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Felix J. Augustin ◽

Andreas T. Matzke ◽

Michael W. Maisch ◽

Hans-Ulrich Pfretzschner

Keyword(s):

Lower Cretaceous ◽

Junggar Basin ◽

Nw China ◽

New Information

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Jurassic–Lower Cretaceous sequence stratigraphy and allogenic controls in proximal terrestrial environments (Southern Junggar Basin, NW China)

Geological Journal ◽

10.1002/gj.4132 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Xutong Guan ◽

Chaodong Wu ◽

Tianqi Zhou ◽

Xueying Tang ◽

Jian Ma ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Sequence Stratigraphy ◽

Lower Cretaceous ◽

Junggar Basin ◽

Nw China ◽

Terrestrial Environments

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The first record of pterosaurs from the Lower Cretaceous Hutubei Formation (lower Tugulu Group) of the southern Junggar Basin (NW China) – a glimpse into an unusual ecosystem

Cretaceous Research ◽

10.1016/j.cretres.2021.105066 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 105066

Author(s):

Felix J. Augustin ◽

Andreas T. Matzke ◽

Michael W. Maisch ◽

Panagiotis Kampouridis ◽

Zoltán Csiki-Sava

Keyword(s):

Lower Cretaceous ◽

Junggar Basin ◽

First Record ◽

Nw China

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The tale of the headless turtle

Zootaxa ◽

10.11646/zootaxa.4200.2.7 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 4200 (2) ◽

pp. 327 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

PEDRO S. R. ROMANO

Keyword(s):

New Species ◽

Phenotypic Plasticity ◽

Lower Cretaceous ◽

Fossil Record ◽

Diagnostic Features ◽

Fossil Species ◽

The Past ◽

Early Paleocene ◽

Phylogenetic Hypotheses ◽

A New Species

Pelomedusoides is the most diverse clade of side-necked turtles and there is an extensive fossil record (de Broin, 1988; Lapparent de Broin, 2000; Gaffney et al., 2006, 2011) that dates back at least to the Barremian (Lower Cretaceous) (Romano et al., 2014). Its large fossil record evidences a greater diversity in the past, particularly at the end of the Mesozoic, and exhibits a good sampling of species that are represented by skull material (Gaffney et al., 2006, 2011). As a consequence, the most complete and recent phylogenetic hypotheses for this clade (e.g. Romano et al., 2014; Cadena, 2015) are based on matrices comprising a great amount of cranial characters derived largely from Gaffney et al. (2006, 2011). In addition, it is well established that shell characters show a lot of phenotypic plasticity, even in the fossil species (Romano, 2008; Gaffney et al., 2006, 2011). In most cases it consequently is not justified to rely on “diagnostic features” of poorly informative shell-only material for describing a new species. Because of that, most authors remark new morphotypes in the literature when such aberrant specimens are recovered, but do not make any nomenclatural act by proposing a new yet poorly supported species (e.g. Romano et al., 2013; Ferreira & Langer, 2013; Menegazzo et al., 2015). Unfortunately, such a supposedly new bothremydid turtle (Pleurodira: Bothremydidae) from the Early Paleocene of Brazil was recently described based on poorly diagnostic remains (Carvalho et al., 2016; hereafter CGB, for the authors initials) and a correction of this unfounded nomenclatural act is required. In addition I present some comments on shell only material from Brazil in order to guide splitter-taxonomists to stop describing poorly preserved fossil specimens as new species.

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Stratigraphic and sedimentary characteristics of the Upper Jurassic-Lower Cretaceous strata in the Junggar Basin, Central Asia: Tectonic and climate implications

Journal of Asian Earth Sciences ◽

10.1016/j.jseaes.2016.09.001 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 129 ◽

pp. 294-308 ◽

Cited By ~ 16

Author(s):

Yanan Fang ◽

Chaodong Wu ◽

Yizhe Wang ◽

Luxin Wang ◽

Zhaojie Guo ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Central Asia ◽

Lower Cretaceous ◽

Junggar Basin ◽

Upper Jurassic ◽

Sedimentary Characteristics

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Anatomy of Culcita macrocarpa

Canadian Journal of Botany ◽

10.1139/b68-008 ◽

1968 ◽

Vol 46 (1) ◽

pp. 43-46 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

U. Sen

Keyword(s):

Vascular Bundle ◽

Subsidiary Cell ◽

Taxonomic Position ◽

Transverse Orientation ◽

Diagnostic Features ◽

Anatomical Characteristics ◽

Sieve Cells ◽

Close Relationship ◽

First Time ◽

Silica Crystals

The anatomy of Culcita macrocarpa Presl., the taxonomic position of which has been in dispute, is described in detail for the first time. The stem is solenostelic. Important diagnostic features are the presence of cubical cells with silica crystals in both cortex and pith, and a transverse orientation of some of the sieve cells. Each petiole has a U-shaped vascular bundle. Stomata are of the syndetocheilic type with one subsidiary cell. The indusium has abaxial and adaxial lips which are structurally dissimilar. Anatomical characteristics of the species justify its inclusion in the Cyatheaceae (sensu Holttum and Sen, 1961), and show close relationship with Thyrsopteris.

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