Abstract
A new complete and fully articulated specimen of the anurognathid pterosaurAnurognathus ammoni from the Upper Jurassic Solnhofen Limestone of southern Germany provides new information about the species. The skull is broader than long and quite tall. The naris and antorbital fenestra are both small and anteriorly placed, whereas the orbit is very large. The palatal elements are slender struts of bone separating large openings. The tail is short, but is neither pygostyle-like nor like that of pterodactyloids. The wingfinger, unlike that of almost all pterosaurs, is reduced to three phalanges. Pedal digit V bears two long phalanges. Reexamination of the holotype specimen revealed evidence of bony bumps on the premaxilla and dentary that may have been associated with a fringe of bristles around the mouth.Anurognathus and the other anurognathids were probably adapted to aerial insectivory in low light conditions like extant caprimulgids and insectivorous bats, and may have spent little time on the ground. The taxonomy of the Anurognathidae is reviewed and new diagnoses are presented. A cladistic analysis supports the interpretation that the Anurognathidae is the sister-group to all other pterosaurs.
Kurzfassung
Ein neues vollständiges und zusammenhängendes Exemplar des FlugsauriersAnurognathus ammoni aus dem oberen Solnhofener Plattenkalk von Süddeutschland liefert neue Informationen über die Art. Der Schädel ist breiter als lang und ziemlich hoch. Naris und Praeorbitalöffnung sind klein und nach vorn versetzt, während die Orbita sehr groß ist. Die palatalen Elemente sind schlanke knöcherne Streben, die große Öffnungen trennen. Der Schwanz ist kurz, aber weder pygostyl noch vergleichbar dem der Pterodactyloidea. Im Gegensatz zu fast allen Flugsauriern besitzt der Flügelfinger nur drei Phalangen; Fuß-Zehe V besitzt zwei lange Phalangen. Die Neu-Untersuchung des Holotypus erbrachte den Nachweis von knöchernen Höckern auf Praemaxillare und Dentale, die mit einem Kranz von Borsten um den Mund verknüpft waren.Anurognathus und die übrigen Anurognathidae waren wahrscheinlich fliegende Insektenfresser bei Dämmerung und Dunkelheit wie heutige Caprimulgidae und insektenfressende Fledermäuse und dürften nur kurze Zeit am Boden verbracht haben. Die Taxonomie der Anurognathidae wird diskutiert, neue Diagnosen werden vorgestellt. Eine cladistische Analyse stützt die Annahme, dass die Anurognathidae die Schwester-Gruppe aller anderen Flugsaurier sind.
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Bennett, S.C. A second specimen of the pterosaurAnurognathus ammoni . Paläont. Z. 81, 376–398 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02990250
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02990250