Nyctosaurids are characterized by their lack of all but the wing finger. In most pterosaurs, the hand has four fingers, with the fourth elongated to support the wing, and the remaining three are usually small, clawed, and used in walking or climbing. The lack of functional fingers in nyctosaurids may suggest that they spent almost all of their time in the air, rarely walking on the ground. Nyctosaurids also possessed a distinctively enlarged crest for muscle attachment on their upper arm bone, or humerus, the deltopectoral crest, hatchet shaped like in the unrelated rhamphorhynchids.[3] Nyctosaurids are generally characterized as specialized, pelagic soarers like frigatebirds; however, the Alcione species appear to have had shorter wings and possibly have been divers like auks,[4]
Nyctosaurids have occasionally been included in the similar family Pteranodontidae, though researchers including Christopher Bennett and Alexander Kellner have both concluded that they belonged to a separate lineage.[5] Analyses by David Unwin did indicate a close relationship between Pteranodon and Nyctosaurus, though he used the name Pteranodontia for the clade containing both genera. Both opinions were published before the discovery of the second definitively known nyctosaurid, Muzquizopteryx, in 2006.[6]
Most nyctosaurid fossils have been found in formations dating to the late Cretaceous period of the western United States and Mexico. Nyctosaurus dates from 85-84.5 million years ago, in the Niobrara Formation of Kansas. Muzquizopteryx is the oldest nyctosaurid known from definitive remains, dating to the Turonian-Coniacian boundary, 85.8 million years ago, in Coahuila.[7] However, a partial humerus with the distinctive nyctosaurid deltopectoral crest was found in Cornet, Romania, and identified as a possible European, early Cretaceous (late Berriasian age, about 140 Ma ago) nyctosaurid by Gareth Dyke and colleagues in 2010.[1]
Three forms are known from the Maastrichtian: a single potentially nyctosaurid humerus (upper arm bone) from Mexico, a "Nyctosaurus" lamegoi from Brazil,[8][9] and a nyctosaurid complete wing-phalanx1, a claw (digit phalanx manus), and a partial ulna from Jordan. The Jordan specimen is of particular interest as it is the first record of a nyctosaurid from the Old World and represents the latest record of the family (uppermost Maastrichtian).[10] Beginning in 2016, Nicholas Longrich, David Martill, and Brian Andres presented evidence of several nyctosaurid and pteranodontid species from the latest Maastrichtian age of north Africa, suggesting that these lineages went through an evolutionary radiation in the Old World shortly before the K-Pg extinction event. Three of these pterosaurs were named in 2018, and were called Alcione, Barbaridactylus, and Simurghia.[4]
Classificationedit
In 2022, Fernandes et al. described Epapatelo as a new pteranodontian from Angola. Including Epapatelo in the phylogenetic analysis of Longrich et al. (2018), they recovered a new clade, Aponyctosauria, composed of the Nyctosauridae, Alcione, Simurghia, and Epapatelo.[11]
^ abDyke, G., Benton, M., Posmosanu, E. and Naish, D. (2010). "Early Cretaceous (Berriasian) birds and pterosaurs from the Cornet bauxite mine, Romania." Palaeontology, published online before print 15 September 2010. doi:10.1111/j.1475-4983.2010.00997.x
^Nicholson, H.A. and Lydekker, R. (1889). A manual of palaeontology for the use of students: with a general introduction on the principles of palæontology, Volume II. Blackwood, 1889.
^Wilton, Mark P. (2013). Pterosaurs: Natural History, Evolution, Anatomy. Princeton University Press. ISBN0691150613,
^ abLongrich, Nicholas R.; Martill, David M.; Andres, Brian; Penny, David (2018). "Late Maastrichtian pterosaurs from North Africa and mass extinction of Pterosauria at the Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary". PLOS Biology. 16 (3): e2001663. doi:10.1371/journal.pbio.2001663. PMC5849296. PMID 29534059.
^Bennett, S. C. (1994). "Taxonomy and systematics of the Late Cretaceous pterosaur Pteranodon (Pterosauria, Pterodactyloidea)", Occasional Papers of the Museum of Natural History, University of Kansas, Lawrence, 169: 1-70
^Frey, E., Buchy, M.-C., Stinnesbeck, W., González, A. G. & di Stefano, A. (2006). "Muzquizopteryx coahuilensis n.g., n. sp., a nyctosaurid pterosaur with soft tissue preservation from the Coniacian (Late Cretaceous) of northeast Mexico (Coahuila)." Oryctos, 6: 19-39.
^Schmidt, H., Buchy, M.-C., Vega, F.J., Smith, K.T., Ifrim, C., Frey, E., Keller, G., Rindfleisch, A., González, A.H.G., Lionel Cavin, L. and Stinnesbeck, W. (2006). "A new lithographic limestone deposit in the Upper Cretaceous Austin Group at El Rosario, county of Múzquiz, Coahuila, northeastern Mexico 2018-09-28 at the Wayback Machine." Revista Mexicana de Ciencias Geológicas, 22(3): 401-418.
^Price, L. I. 1953. A presença de Pterosáuria no Cretáceo superior do Estada da Paraiba. Divisão de Geologia e Mineralogia Notas Preliminares e Estudos, 71, 1-10.
^Wilton, Mark P. (2013). Pterosaurs: Natural History, Evolution, Anatomy. Princeton University Press. ISBN0691150613,
^Kaddumi H. F. 2009. On the remains of the first pterosaur (Ornithocheiroidea:Nyctosauridae) from the Muwaqqar Chalk Marl Formation of Harrana. In: Fossils of the Harrana Fauna and the Adjacent Areas. Publications of the Eternal River Museum of Natural History, Amman, pp 241-247.
^Fernandes, Alexandra E.; Mateus, Octávio; Andres, Brian; Polcyn, Michael J.; Schulp, Anne S.; Gonçalves, António Olímpio; Jacobs, Louis L. (2022). "Pterosaurs from the Late Cretaceous of Angola". Diversity. 14 (9). 741. doi:10.3390/d14090741. hdl:10362/145845.
January 01, 1970
nyctosauridae, meaning, night, lizards, lizards, family, specialized, soaring, pterosaurs, late, cretaceous, period, north, america, africa, possibly, europe, named, 1889, henry, alleyne, nicholson, richard, lydekker, nyctosauridstemporal, range, late, cretace. Nyctosauridae meaning night lizards or bat lizards is a family of specialized soaring pterosaurs of the late Cretaceous Period of North America Africa and possibly Europe It was named in 1889 by Henry Alleyne Nicholson and Richard Lydekker 2 NyctosauridsTemporal range Late Cretaceous 85 8 66 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N possible Early Cretaceous record 1 Carnegie Museum fossil specimen of Nyctosaurus gracilis CM 11422 Scientific classification Domain Eukaryota Kingdom Animalia Phylum Chordata Order Pterosauria Suborder Pterodactyloidea Clade Aponyctosauria Family NyctosauridaeNicholson amp Lydekker 1889 Type species Pteranodon gracilisMarsh 1876 Genera Barbaridactylus Muzquizopteryx Nyctosaurus Synonyms Nyctodactylidae Haeckel 1895 Nyctosaurids are characterized by their lack of all but the wing finger In most pterosaurs the hand has four fingers with the fourth elongated to support the wing and the remaining three are usually small clawed and used in walking or climbing The lack of functional fingers in nyctosaurids may suggest that they spent almost all of their time in the air rarely walking on the ground Nyctosaurids also possessed a distinctively enlarged crest for muscle attachment on their upper arm bone or humerus the deltopectoral crest hatchet shaped like in the unrelated rhamphorhynchids 3 Nyctosaurids are generally characterized as specialized pelagic soarers like frigatebirds however the Alcione species appear to have had shorter wings and possibly have been divers like auks 4 Nyctosaurids have occasionally been included in the similar family Pteranodontidae though researchers including Christopher Bennett and Alexander Kellner have both concluded that they belonged to a separate lineage 5 Analyses by David Unwin did indicate a close relationship between Pteranodon and Nyctosaurus though he used the name Pteranodontia for the clade containing both genera Both opinions were published before the discovery of the second definitively known nyctosaurid Muzquizopteryx in 2006 6 Most nyctosaurid fossils have been found in formations dating to the late Cretaceous period of the western United States and Mexico Nyctosaurus dates from 85 84 5 million years ago in the Niobrara Formation of Kansas Muzquizopteryx is the oldest nyctosaurid known from definitive remains dating to the Turonian Coniacian boundary 85 8 million years ago in Coahuila 7 However a partial humerus with the distinctive nyctosaurid deltopectoral crest was found in Cornet Romania and identified as a possible European early Cretaceous late Berriasian age about 140 Ma ago nyctosaurid by Gareth Dyke and colleagues in 2010 1 Three forms are known from the Maastrichtian a single potentially nyctosaurid humerus upper arm bone from Mexico a Nyctosaurus lamegoi from Brazil 8 9 and a nyctosaurid complete wing phalanx1 a claw digit phalanx manus and a partial ulna from Jordan The Jordan specimen is of particular interest as it is the first record of a nyctosaurid from the Old World and represents the latest record of the family uppermost Maastrichtian 10 Beginning in 2016 Nicholas Longrich David Martill and Brian Andres presented evidence of several nyctosaurid and pteranodontid species from the latest Maastrichtian age of north Africa suggesting that these lineages went through an evolutionary radiation in the Old World shortly before the K Pg extinction event Three of these pterosaurs were named in 2018 and were called Alcione Barbaridactylus and Simurghia 4 Classification editIn 2022 Fernandes et al described Epapatelo as a new pteranodontian from Angola Including Epapatelo in the phylogenetic analysis of Longrich et al 2018 they recovered a new clade Aponyctosauria composed of the Nyctosauridae Alcione Simurghia and Epapatelo 11 Pteranodontia Tethydraco Pteranodon longiceps Pteranodon sternbergi Geosternbergia Alamodactylus Volgadraco Cretornis Aponyctosauria Epapatelo Simurghia Alcione Nyctosauridae Muzquizopteryx Nyctosaurus lamegoi Nyctosaurus grandis Barbaridactylus Nyctosaurus nanus Nyctosaurus gracilisNotes edit a b Dyke G Benton M Posmosanu E and Naish D 2010 Early Cretaceous Berriasian birds and pterosaurs from the Cornet bauxite mine Romania Palaeontology published online before print 15 September 2010 doi 10 1111 j 1475 4983 2010 00997 x Nicholson H A and Lydekker R 1889 A manual of palaeontology for the use of students with a general introduction on the principles of palaeontology Volume II Blackwood 1889 Wilton Mark P 2013 Pterosaurs Natural History Evolution Anatomy Princeton University Press ISBN 0691150613 a b Longrich Nicholas R Martill David M Andres Brian Penny David 2018 Late Maastrichtian pterosaurs from North Africa and mass extinction of Pterosauria at the Cretaceous Paleogene boundary PLOS Biology 16 3 e2001663 doi 10 1371 journal pbio 2001663 PMC 5849296 PMID 29534059 Bennett S C 1994 Taxonomy and systematics of the Late Cretaceous pterosaur Pteranodon Pterosauria Pterodactyloidea Occasional Papers of the Museum of Natural History University of Kansas Lawrence 169 1 70 Frey E Buchy M C Stinnesbeck W Gonzalez A G amp di Stefano A 2006 Muzquizopteryx coahuilensis n g n sp a nyctosaurid pterosaur with soft tissue preservation from the Coniacian Late Cretaceous of northeast Mexico Coahuila Oryctos 6 19 39 Schmidt H Buchy M C Vega F J Smith K T Ifrim C Frey E Keller G Rindfleisch A Gonzalez A H G Lionel Cavin L and Stinnesbeck W 2006 A new lithographic limestone deposit in the Upper Cretaceous Austin Group at El Rosario county of Muzquiz Coahuila northeastern Mexico Archived 2018 09 28 at the Wayback Machine Revista Mexicana de Ciencias Geologicas 22 3 401 418 Price L I 1953 A presenca de Pterosauria no Cretaceo superior do Estada da Paraiba Divisao de Geologia e Mineralogia Notas Preliminares e Estudos 71 1 10 Wilton Mark P 2013 Pterosaurs Natural History Evolution Anatomy Princeton University Press ISBN 0691150613 Kaddumi H F 2009 On the remains of the first pterosaur Ornithocheiroidea Nyctosauridae from the Muwaqqar Chalk Marl Formation of Harrana In Fossils of the Harrana Fauna and the Adjacent Areas Publications of the Eternal River Museum of Natural History Amman pp 241 247 Fernandes Alexandra E Mateus Octavio Andres Brian Polcyn Michael J Schulp Anne S Goncalves Antonio Olimpio Jacobs Louis L 2022 Pterosaurs from the Late Cretaceous of Angola Diversity 14 9 741 doi 10 3390 d14090741 hdl 10362 145845 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Nyctosauridae amp oldid 1193724627, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
