Nemicolopterus is a dubious genus of tapejaromorphpterosaur, based on a very small specimen described as the smallest known "adult" pterosaur to date. It lived in the Jehol Biota 120 million years ago.
The generic name "Nemicolopterus" comes from the following Greek words: "Nemos" meaning "forest", "ikolos" meaning "dweller", and Latinised "pteron" meaning "wing". The specific name crypticus is from "kryptos", meaning "hidden". Thus "Nemicolopterus crypticus" means "Hidden flying forest dweller".
The type fossil specimen of N. crypticus, catalog number IVPP V-14377, is housed in the collection of the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology in Beijing, China. The fossil was collected from the Jiufotang Formation, which is of Aptian age (120 mya). It was discovered in the Luzhhouou locality of Yaolugou Town, Jianchang County, Huludao City, western Liaoning Province in northeastern China. It has a wingspan of slightly under 25 centimeters (10 in), making it smaller than all but a few specimens of hatchling pterosaurs.[1] Wang et al. (2008), who originally described the specimen, concluded that it was immature, citing the amount of bone fusion and the ossification of the toes, gastralia, and sternum as indicating that it was a sub-adult rather than a hatchling. However, Darren Naish argued on his popular weblog that, due to the hypothesis that pterosaurs were highly precocial, bone fusion and ossification could have occurred very early in life, and that Nemicolopterus might in fact be a hatchling individual of the genus Sinopterus.[2] This identification was formally presented in 2021 study, which found that Nemicolopterus fit into a growth series as a young juvenile or hatchling Sinopterus hatchling.[3]
ClassificationEdit
An analysis of pterosaur relationships by Andres and colleagues in 2014 found the specimen in a sister group relationship with "Sinopterus" gui.[4]
A 2023 revision of Sinopterus concluded that it was impossible to assign the Nemicolopterus specimen to either Sinopterus or the new genus Huaxiadraco, and it was therefore considered an indeterminate sinopterine.[5]
^Wang, X.; Kellner, A. W. A.; Zhou, Z.; de Almeida Campos, D. (12 February 2008). "Discovery of a rare arboreal forest-dwelling flying reptile (Pterosauria, Pterodactyloidea) from China". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 105 (6): 1983–1987. doi:10.1073/pnas.0707728105. PMC2538868. PMID 18268340.
^"Tiny pterosaurs and pac-man frogs from hell". ScienceBlogs. 19 March 2008.[unreliable source?]
^Naish, Darren; Witton, Mark P.; Martin-Silverstone, Elizabeth (22 July 2021). "Powered flight in hatchling pterosaurs: evidence from wing form and bone strength". Scientific Reports. 11 (1): 13130. Bibcode:2021NatSR..1113130N. doi:10.1038/s41598-021-92499-z. PMC8298463. PMID 34294737.
^Andres, Brian; Clark, James; Xu, Xing (May 2014). "The Earliest Pterodactyloid and the Origin of the Group". Current Biology. 24 (9): 1011–1016. doi:10.1016/j.cub.2014.03.030. PMID 24768054. S2CID 18293296.
^Pêgas, Rodrigo V.; Zhou, Xuanyu; Jin, Xingsheng; Wang, Kai; Ma, Waisum (2023). "A taxonomic revision of the Sinopterus complex (Pterosauria, Tapejaridae) from the Early Cretaceous Jehol Biota, with the new genus Huaxiadraco". PeerJ. 11: e14829. doi:10.7717/peerj.14829. PMC9922500.
nemicolopterus, dubious, genus, tapejaromorph, pterosaur, based, very, small, specimen, described, smallest, known, adult, pterosaur, date, lived, jehol, biota, million, years, temporal, range, early, cretaceous, preꞒ, holotype, specimenscientific, classificat. Nemicolopterus is a dubious genus of tapejaromorph pterosaur based on a very small specimen described as the smallest known adult pterosaur to date It lived in the Jehol Biota 120 million years ago NemicolopterusTemporal range Early Cretaceous 120 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N Holotype specimenScientific classificationDomain EukaryotaKingdom AnimaliaPhylum ChordataOrder PterosauriaSuborder PterodactyloideaClade TapejaromorphaGenus NemicolopterusWang et al 2008Type species Nemicolopterus crypticusWang et al 2008 Contents 1 Discovery and naming 2 Description 3 Classification 4 See also 5 ReferencesDiscovery and naming EditThe generic name Nemicolopterus comes from the following Greek words Nemos meaning forest ikolos meaning dweller and Latinised pteron meaning wing The specific name crypticus is from kryptos meaning hidden Thus Nemicolopterus crypticus means Hidden flying forest dweller Description Edit Life restorationThe type fossil specimen of N crypticus catalog number IVPP V 14377 is housed in the collection of the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology in Beijing China The fossil was collected from the Jiufotang Formation which is of Aptian age 120 mya It was discovered in the Luzhhouou locality of Yaolugou Town Jianchang County Huludao City western Liaoning Province in northeastern China It has a wingspan of slightly under 25 centimeters 10 in making it smaller than all but a few specimens of hatchling pterosaurs 1 Wang et al 2008 who originally described the specimen concluded that it was immature citing the amount of bone fusion and the ossification of the toes gastralia and sternum as indicating that it was a sub adult rather than a hatchling However Darren Naish argued on his popular weblog that due to the hypothesis that pterosaurs were highly precocial bone fusion and ossification could have occurred very early in life and that Nemicolopterus might in fact be a hatchling individual of the genus Sinopterus 2 This identification was formally presented in 2021 study which found that Nemicolopterus fit into a growth series as a young juvenile or hatchling Sinopterus hatchling 3 Classification EditAn analysis of pterosaur relationships by Andres and colleagues in 2014 found the specimen in a sister group relationship with Sinopterus gui 4 A 2023 revision of Sinopterus concluded that it was impossible to assign the Nemicolopterus specimen to either Sinopterus or the new genus Huaxiadraco and it was therefore considered an indeterminate sinopterine 5 See also EditList of pterosaur genera Timeline of pterosaur research Pterosaur size Smallest organismsReferences Edit Wang X Kellner A W A Zhou Z de Almeida Campos D 12 February 2008 Discovery of a rare arboreal forest dwelling flying reptile Pterosauria Pterodactyloidea from China Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 105 6 1983 1987 doi 10 1073 pnas 0707728105 PMC 2538868 PMID 18268340 Tiny pterosaurs and pac man frogs from hell ScienceBlogs 19 March 2008 unreliable source Naish Darren Witton Mark P Martin Silverstone Elizabeth 22 July 2021 Powered flight in hatchling pterosaurs evidence from wing form and bone strength Scientific Reports 11 1 13130 Bibcode 2021NatSR 1113130N doi 10 1038 s41598 021 92499 z PMC 8298463 PMID 34294737 Andres Brian Clark James Xu Xing May 2014 The Earliest Pterodactyloid and the Origin of the Group Current Biology 24 9 1011 1016 doi 10 1016 j cub 2014 03 030 PMID 24768054 S2CID 18293296 Pegas Rodrigo V Zhou Xuanyu Jin Xingsheng Wang Kai Ma Waisum 2023 A taxonomic revision of the Sinopterus complex Pterosauria Tapejaridae from the Early Cretaceous Jehol Biota with the new genus Huaxiadraco PeerJ 11 e14829 doi 10 7717 peerj 14829 PMC 9922500 Portals Paleontology Cretaceous China Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Nemicolopterus amp oldid 1170011403, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
