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Genus of ctenochasmatid pterosaur from the Early Cretaceous
Cathayopterus
is an extinct genus of
ctenochasmatid
pterosaur
from the
Early Cretaceous
-age
Yixian Formation
of
Liaoning
, China. The name means "China wing", using the word "Cathay" as an old alternative name for China. The
type species
is
C. grabaui
, described in 2006 by
Wang Xiaolin
and
Zhou Zhongh
. It is a member of the
Ctenochasmatidae
, a clade of mostly filter feeding pterosaurs from the Jurassic and early Cretaceous.
[1]
[2]
Description
[
edit
]
Cathayopterus
is only known from a skull preserved in dorsal view, which shows teeth splaying outwards at the tip of the rostrum, similar to
Ctenochasma
. The skull is incomplete, with the left side being damaged.
[1]
Classification
[
edit
]
The cladogram below follows a
phylogenetic analysis
upheld by Lu and colleagues in 2016. They recovered
Cathayopterus
as a basal member of the family Ctenochasmatidae.
[3]
Paleobiology
[
edit
]
Cathayopterus
was likely a filter feeder, just like other
ctenochasmatid
pterosaurs. It likely roamed around waterways to feed.
[1]
See also
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
a
b
c
Wang, Xiaolin & Zhou, Zhonghe (2006). "Pterosaur assemblages of the Jehol Biota and their implication for the Early Cretaceous pterosaur radiation".
Geological Journal
.
41
(3?4): 405?418.
doi
:
10.1002/gj.1046
.
- ^
Wang, Xiaolin & Zhou, Zhonghe (2006). "Pterosaur adaptational radiation of the Early Cretaceous Jehol Biota". In Rong, Jiayu; Fang, Zongjie; Zhou, Zhonghe; et al. (eds.).
Originations, Radiations and Biodiversity Changes?Evidences from the Chinese Fossil Record
. Beijing: Science Press. pp. 665?689, 937?938.
- ^
Lu J., Kundrat M., Shen C., 2016, "New Material of the Pterosaur
Gladocephaloideus
Lu et al., 2012 from the Early Cretaceous of Liaoning Province, China, with Comments on Its Systematic Position",
PLoS ONE
11
(6): e0154888.
doi
:
10.1371/journal.pone.0154888