Premaxillary crest variation within the Wukongopteridae (Reptilia, Pterosauria) and comments on cranial structures in pterosaurs
Document title: Premaxillary crest variation within the Wukongopteridae (Reptilia, Pterosauria) and comments on cranial structures in pterosaurs
Journal: Anais da Academia Brasileira de Ciencias
Database: PERIÓDICA
System number: 000418013
ISSN: 0001-3765
Authors: 1
1
1
2
Institutions: 1Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins, Beijing. China
2Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Museu Nacional, Rio de Janeiro. Brasil
Year:
Season: Mar
Volumen: 89
Number: 1
Pages: 119-130
Country: Brasil
Language: Inglés
Document type: Artículo
Approach: Experimental, aplicado
English abstract Cranial crests show considerable variation within the Pterosauria, a group of flying reptiles that developed powered flight. This includes the Wukongopteridae, a clade of non-pterodactyloids, where the presence or absence of such head structures, allied with variation in the pelvic canal, have been regarded as evidence for sexual dimorphism. Here we discuss the cranial crest variation within wukongopterids and briefly report on a new specimen (IVPP V 17957). We also show that there is no significant variation in the anatomy of the pelvis of crested and crestless specimens. We further revisit the discussion regarding the function of cranial structures in pterosaurs and argue that they cannot be dismissed a priori as a valuable tool for species recognition
Disciplines: Biología
Keyword: Reptiles,
Paleontología,
Anatomía e histología,
Fósiles,
Cresta craneal,
Morfología,
Dimorfismo sexual,
Wukongopteridae,
Pterosauria,
Triásico,
China
Keyword: Reptiles,
Paleontology,
Anatomy and histology,
Fossils,
Cranial crest,
Morphology,
Sexual dimorphism,
Wukongopteridae,
Pterosauria,
Triassic,
China
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