| Maaradactylus | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Reconstructed skeleton of the speciesM. spielbergi on display inNaturalis Biodiversity Center | |
Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Order: | †Pterosauria |
| Suborder: | †Pterodactyloidea |
| Family: | †Anhangueridae |
| Subfamily: | †Anhanguerinae |
| Genus: | †Maaradactylus Bantimet al.,2014 |
| Type species | |
| †Maaradactylus kellneri Bantimet al., 2014 | |
| Other species | |
| Synonyms | |
Synonyms ofM. spielbergi
| |
Maaradactylus is agenus ofanhangueridpterodactyloidpterosaur known from theLower Cretaceous period (Aptian toAlbian stages) of theRomualdo Formation of northeasternBrazil.
Maaradactylus isbased on the Museu Paleontologico de Santana do Cariri specimen MPSC R 2357, a skull,atlas, andaxis discovered in 2010 in theAptian—Albian-age Romualdo Formation of Sítio São Gonçalo,Santana do Cariri,Ceará, in the Araripe Basin of Brazil.
Maaradactylus was described by Renan Bantim and colleagues in2014. Thetype species isMaaradactylus kellneri. The generic name refers to Maara, in the legends of theCariri the daughter of a chief, by sorcery changed into a river monster with long teeth, devouring fishermen. The suffix ~dactylus is common in the names of pterosaurs and is derived from Greek δάκτυλος,daktylos, "finger", referring to the long (fourth) wing finger. Thespecific name honorsAlexander Kellner, Brazil's foremost pterosaur expert.[2]
In 2019, the speciesColoborhynchus spielbergi, also assigned asAnhanguera spielbergi, was reassigned toMaaradactylus by Megan L. Jacobs and colleagues asM. spielbergi.[3] This species was named after the filmmakerSteven Spielberg, the director ofJurassic Park by André J. Veldmeijer.[4] The holotype of this species was prepared from a chunk of limestone of Albian-age originating from the Romualdo Member of theSantana Formation in Brazil and has been part of the collection ofNaturalis Biodiversity Center in Leiden, The Netherlands since 1992.[5] A replica is on display in one of the museum exhibitions.
Maaradactylus had one of the largest anhanguerid skulls from theSantana Group, and this indicated a wingspan estimate of about 6 meters (20 ft). Thisanhanguerid also has a relatively tall crest running along the midline of thepremaxillary bones, which make up most of the upper beak region, and placements for 35 pairs of teeth in the upper jaws.[2]
The formerly knownColoborhynchus spielbergi (alternativelyAnhanguera spielbergi), nowMaaradactylus spielbergi, had rounded crests at the ends of expanded upper and lower jaws, similar to the relatedornithocheirids.[6] However, rather than the crests being robust and box-shaped as seen in many ornithocheirid genera, the jaw tips were more slender and spoon-shaped, and the crest is thin from top to bottom, both features commonly seen inanhanguerid species typically referred to the genusAnhanguera, a genus in whichM. speilbergi was classified by some researchers asA. spielbergi. As in other ornithocheirids, the size and orientation of the teeth vary considerably along the jawline. InM. spielbergi, the tooth pattern has been described as more similar toAnhanguera rather than toTropeognathus.[3]
A topology recovered by Jacobset al. in 2019 recoveredMaaradactylus within the familyAnhangueridae, and as the sister taxon of severalAnhanguera species. Their cladogram is shown on the left.[3] In 2020 however, a study by Borja Holgado and Rodrigo Pêgas had recoveredMaaradactylus as the sister taxon ofCearadactylus, both belonging to the subfamilyAnhanguerinae. Their cladogram is shown on the right.[7]
Topology 1: Jacobset al. (2019).
| Topology 2: Holgado & Pêgas (2020).
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