Wukongopterus is a new species of pterosaur whose fossils were discovered in Daohugou, Liaoning. In 2009, Chinese and Brazilian scientific research teams first named Wukong Pterosaurs and established the family Wukong Pterosaurs accordingly. They found that Wukong Pterosaurs had many primitive "Rhythorhynchids" and relatively advanced pterodactyls. The mosaic characteristics of the species, such as the external nares and antorbital foramen have healed into the antorbital foramen, the cervical vertebrae and metacarpal bones are relatively lengthened, but the degree of lengthening is between "rhythrohythids" and pterodactyls; with a long tail, the fifth The toes are particularly developed, etc.
Wukong pterosaurs originate from the Jurassic Yanliao biota in western Liaoning and are mainly distributed in Jianchang, western Liaoning and its adjacent areas such as Ningcheng, Inner Mongolia and Qinglong, Hebei. They represent a key missing link in the evolution of pterosaurs.
On February 10, 2017, the Journal of the Brazilian Academy of Sciences (Anais da Academia Brasileira de Ciências) published online the latest results of the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences' research on the headdress (skull ridge) of Wukong pterosaurs. On the basis of a new type of headgear, this paper summarizes the headgear characteristics of all discovered Wukong pterosaurs, discusses the functions of Wukong pterosaurs' headgear, and believes that the presence or absence of Wukong pterosaurs' headgear is not a sign of distinguishing male and female individuals. , but the identifying characteristics of different genera and species.
This special pterosaur group has named many genera and species, including Wukong Pterosaur, Darwin Pterosaur and Kunpeng Pterosaur, and is the dominant group of Yanliao pterosaur fauna. Phylogenetic analysis shows that all members of the family Wukongpterydae form a monophyletic family and are the sister group of the suborder Pterodactylidae. However, the systematic relationships within the family Wukongpterydae require further study.
The model species is Li's Wukong Pterosaur.
The English name of Wukong Pterosaur comes from wukong (Wukong, Sun Wukong, Monkey King in Journey to the West) plus pterus (wing). So far, this new group of pterosaurs has not only preserved a large number of complete skeletons and headgear, but also preserved egg fossils in some specimens. This is also one of the few pterosaur groups in the world that preserves both skeletons and eggs. It is important for understanding The egg-laying reproductive mechanism and male-male identification characteristics of pterosaurs are of great significance.
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