| Lingyuanopterus | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Holotype ofLingyuanopterus (IVPP V 17940) with apeipiaosteid fish above | |
Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | †Pterosauria |
| Suborder: | †Pterodactyloidea |
| Family: | †Istiodactylidae |
| Genus: | †Lingyuanopterus Xuet al.,2022 |
| Type species | |
| †Lingyuanopterus camposi Xuet al., 2022 | |
Lingyuanopterus (lit. 'Lingyuan wing') is a genus ofistiodactylidpterosaur from theAptian ageJiufotang Formation in westernLiaoning,China. The type and only species isL. camposi, known from the holotype specimenIVPP V 17940 a near complete skull, mandible and atlas-axis complex.[1]
Lingyuanopterus was named and described in 2022 by Xuet al., (2022). The type species isL. camposi. The generic name is derived from the locality in which the holotype specimen was found 'Lingyuan' and the Latinized Greek noun 'pterus', meaning 'wing'. The specific name 'camposi' honours Brazilian vertebrate paleontologistDiogenes de Almeida Campos for his contribution to China-Brazil pterosaur collaborative research.[1]
| Dimension | Metric | Imperial |
|---|---|---|
| Skull length | ≈306.8 mm | ≈12.08 in |
| Mandible length | ≈248.6 mm | ≈9.79 in |
| Prejoint-skull length | ≈236.9 mm | ≈9.33 in |
| Skull dorsoventral height | ≈51.1 mm | ≈2.01 in |
| Mandibular symphysis length | ≈64.8 mm | ≈2.55 in |
| Rostral length | ≈83.5 mm | ≈3.29 in |
| Nasoantorbital fenestra anteroposterior length[a] | ≈149.3 mm | ≈5.88 in |
| Nasoantorbital fenestra dorsoventral height | ≈35.6 mm | ≈1.40 in |
| Upper tooth row length | ≈83.8 mm | ≈3.30 in |
| Lower tooth row length | ≈71.9 mm | ≈2.83 in |
Lingyuanopterus is only known from theholotype IVPP V 17940, which consists of a nearly complete skull, a nearly complete mandible, and an atlas-axis complex. Thedorsal margin of the skull is smooth and slightly curved, with no parietal crest/sagittal crest. The rostrum is slightly deflected dorsally, with its anterior end thicker at the ventral margin. The bones on the right side of the skull are ventrally displaced due to itspreservation.[1]
In Xuet al., (2022)Lingyuanopterus is recovered as an istiodactylid pterosaur.[1]
Cladogram after Xuet al., (2022):
Xuet al., (2022) suggest thatLingyuanopterus was adapted for scavenging, citing several features including the well-interlocked labiolingually compressed teeth, slender maxillae, shallow rostra and mandibular symphyses and long retroarticular processes.[1]
