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Yet another kewl pterosaur from Brazil uncovered

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  • Yet another kewl pterosaur from Brazil uncovered

    A police raid in Brazil uncovered the fossilized remains of a nearly complete tapejarid pterodactyloid pterosaur. It dates back to the Early Cretaceous and is notable for its large cranial crest, composed partly of bone and partly of soft tissue. the discovery was named Tupandactylus navigans and researchers believe that they used their crests to signal other Tupandactylus, much in the same way that modern toucans use their bright bills to signal to one another.

    The researchers note that Tupandactylus navigans might not actually represent a separate species but could instead represent different sexes of a single sexually dimorphic species,Tupandactylus imperator, but note more research is needed. IIRC, T. imperator is only known by several skulls.


    Source: Police raid unearths prehistoric flying reptile in remarkable condition


    A fossil discovered during a police raid in Brazil has turned out to be one of the best-preserved flying reptiles found yet, researchers say.

    The remains belong to a tapejarid, a toothless pterosaur from the early Cretaceous period known for its huge cranial crest composed partly of bone and partly of soft tissue. Skulls and partial skeletons of Brazilian tapejarids have turned up before, but this fossil was found with more than 90% of its skeleton intact, along with some soft tissue in place around the bones.

    "This fossil is special because it is the most complete pterosaur from Brazil and it brings new information about the anatomy and ecology of this animal," says Victor Beccari, co-author of a study on the find published Wednesday in the open-access journal PLOS One.

    Brazilian federal police found the tapejarid fossil while investigating an illegal fossil trade operation in 2013. They recovered 3,000 specimens kept in storage units in the states of São Paulo, Minas Gerais and Rio de Janeiro and transferred them to the Geosciences Institute of the University of São Paulo for study. Since 1942, Brazilian law has categorized fossils as state property, as they're considered part of the country's geological heritage and forbidden from being sold commercially.

    This tapejarid belongs to the species Tupandactylus navigansm and Beccari began studying it in 2016 while a biological sciences undergrad at the University of São Paulo. There, he used CT scanning to assess the bones still covered by sediment.

    Pteosaurs populated Earth as recently as 66 million years ago, before an asteroid death blast ended the dinosaurs' reign, and as early as 228 million years ago.

    The reptile described in the study originally comes from the Crato Formation in the Araripe basin, a fossil-rich area in northeastern Brazil that dates back to a time in the Cretaceous period around 115 million years ago. The remains were found preserved in six perfectly complementary yellowish limestone slabs that fit together by rectilinear cuts to present a nearly complete picture of the creature. It had a wingspan of more than 8 feet (2.5 meters) and stood 3.2 feet (1 meter) tall, with its head crest accounting for an astounding 40% of its height.

    That sizable head crest and relatively long neck, the researchers conclude, may have limited the creature to short-distance flights and terrestrial foraging. They hope future research will further illuminate the flight performance, lifestyle and ecosystem of these animals.

    It's been a big month for pterosaurs, led by news of the "fearsome dragon" that terrorized ancient Australian skies. Tim Richards, the University of Queensland paleontologist who's been studying fossils of that creature, expressed excitement upon hearing news of the South American pterosaur.

    "Wow, what a find," says Richards, who was not involved with the PLOS One study. "The acquisition of this specimen is unquestionably a victory for science."


    Source

    © Copyright Original Source




    The paper, Osteology of an exceptionally well-preserved tapejarid skeleton from Brazil: Revealing the anatomy of a curious pterodactyloid clade, can be read by clicking the link. The abstract from it can be seen below

    Abstract

    A remarkably well-preserved, almost complete and articulated new specimen (GP/2E 9266) of Tupandactylus navigans is here described for the Early Cretaceous Crato Formation of Brazil. The new specimen comprises an almost complete skeleton, preserving both the skull and post-cranium, associated with remarkable preservation of soft tissues, which makes it the most complete tapejarid known thus far. CT-Scanning was performed to allow the assessment of bones still covered by sediment. The specimen can be assigned to Tupa. navigans due to its vertical supra-premaxillary bony process and short and rounded parietal crest. It also bears the largest dentary crest among tapejarine pterosaurs and a notarium, which is absent in other representatives of the clade. The new specimen is here regarded as an adult individual. This is the first time that postcranial remains of Tupa. navigans are described, being also an unprecedented record of an articulated tapejarid skeleton from the Araripe Basin.







    I'm always still in trouble again

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  • #2
    Originally posted by rogue06 View Post
    A police raid in Brazil uncovered the fossilized remains of a nearly complete tapejarid pterodactyloid pterosaur. It dates back to the Early Cretaceous and is notable for its large cranial crest, composed partly of bone and partly of soft tissue. the discovery was named Tupandactylus navigans and researchers believe that they used their crests to signal other Tupandactylus, much in the same way that modern toucans use their bright bills to signal to one another.

    The researchers note that Tupandactylus navigans might not actually represent a separate species but could instead represent different sexes of a single sexually dimorphic species,Tupandactylus imperator, but note more research is needed. IIRC, T. imperator is only known by several skulls.


    Source: Police raid unearths prehistoric flying reptile in remarkable condition


    A fossil discovered during a police raid in Brazil has turned out to be one of the best-preserved flying reptiles found yet, researchers say.

    The remains belong to a tapejarid, a toothless pterosaur from the early Cretaceous period known for its huge cranial crest composed partly of bone and partly of soft tissue. Skulls and partial skeletons of Brazilian tapejarids have turned up before, but this fossil was found with more than 90% of its skeleton intact, along with some soft tissue in place around the bones.

    "This fossil is special because it is the most complete pterosaur from Brazil and it brings new information about the anatomy and ecology of this animal," says Victor Beccari, co-author of a study on the find published Wednesday in the open-access journal PLOS One.

    Brazilian federal police found the tapejarid fossil while investigating an illegal fossil trade operation in 2013. They recovered 3,000 specimens kept in storage units in the states of São Paulo, Minas Gerais and Rio de Janeiro and transferred them to the Geosciences Institute of the University of São Paulo for study. Since 1942, Brazilian law has categorized fossils as state property, as they're considered part of the country's geological heritage and forbidden from being sold commercially.

    This tapejarid belongs to the species Tupandactylus navigansm and Beccari began studying it in 2016 while a biological sciences undergrad at the University of São Paulo. There, he used CT scanning to assess the bones still covered by sediment.

    Pteosaurs populated Earth as recently as 66 million years ago, before an asteroid death blast ended the dinosaurs' reign, and as early as 228 million years ago.

    The reptile described in the study originally comes from the Crato Formation in the Araripe basin, a fossil-rich area in northeastern Brazil that dates back to a time in the Cretaceous period around 115 million years ago. The remains were found preserved in six perfectly complementary yellowish limestone slabs that fit together by rectilinear cuts to present a nearly complete picture of the creature. It had a wingspan of more than 8 feet (2.5 meters) and stood 3.2 feet (1 meter) tall, with its head crest accounting for an astounding 40% of its height.

    That sizable head crest and relatively long neck, the researchers conclude, may have limited the creature to short-distance flights and terrestrial foraging. They hope future research will further illuminate the flight performance, lifestyle and ecosystem of these animals.

    It's been a big month for pterosaurs, led by news of the "fearsome dragon" that terrorized ancient Australian skies. Tim Richards, the University of Queensland paleontologist who's been studying fossils of that creature, expressed excitement upon hearing news of the South American pterosaur.

    "Wow, what a find," says Richards, who was not involved with the PLOS One study. "The acquisition of this specimen is unquestionably a victory for science."


    Source

    © Copyright Original Source




    The paper, Osteology of an exceptionally well-preserved tapejarid skeleton from Brazil: Revealing the anatomy of a curious pterodactyloid clade, can be read by clicking the link. The abstract from it can be seen below

    Abstract

    A remarkably well-preserved, almost complete and articulated new specimen (GP/2E 9266) of Tupandactylus navigans is here described for the Early Cretaceous Crato Formation of Brazil. The new specimen comprises an almost complete skeleton, preserving both the skull and post-cranium, associated with remarkable preservation of soft tissues, which makes it the most complete tapejarid known thus far. CT-Scanning was performed to allow the assessment of bones still covered by sediment. The specimen can be assigned to Tupa. navigans due to its vertical supra-premaxillary bony process and short and rounded parietal crest. It also bears the largest dentary crest among tapejarine pterosaurs and a notarium, which is absent in other representatives of the clade. The new specimen is here regarded as an adult individual. This is the first time that postcranial remains of Tupa. navigans are described, being also an unprecedented record of an articulated tapejarid skeleton from the Araripe Basin.
    A few different artist reconstructions...

    I'm always still in trouble again

    "You're by far the worst poster on TWeb" and "TWeb's biggest liar" --starlight (the guy who says Stalin was a right-winger)
    "Overall I would rate the withdrawal from Afghanistan as by far the best thing Biden's done" --Starlight
    "Of course, human life begins at fertilization that’s not the argument." --Tassman

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