New isolated pterodactyloid bones from the Albian Toolebuc Formation (western Queensland, Australia) with comments on the Australian pterosaur fauna

New isolated pterodactyloid bones from the Toolebuc Formation are described. The first one consists of a complete wing metacarpal 212 mm long, representing an individual with an estimated wing span of 4 m. Small depressions on the anterior surface are present and represent tooth marks showing that t...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Alcheringa (Sydney) 2010-01, Vol.34 (3), p.219-230
Main Authors: Kellner, Alexander W.A., Rich, Thomas H., Costa, Fabiana R., Vickers-Rich, Patricia, Kear, Benjamin P., Walters, Mary, Kool, Lesley
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Anhangueridae
Australia
biogeography
Cretaceous
Earth sciences
Geovetenskap
NATURAL SCIENCES
NATURVETENSKAP
Pterodactyloidea
Pterosauria
Toolebuc Formation
tooth marks
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Summary:New isolated pterodactyloid bones from the Toolebuc Formation are described. The first one consists of a complete wing metacarpal 212 mm long, representing an individual with an estimated wing span of 4 m. Small depressions on the anterior surface are present and represent tooth marks showing that this specimen was subjected to scavenging prior to fossilization. The other bone consists of a three-dimensionally preserved cervical vertebra lacking most of the neural arch. The specimens are clearly referable to the derived pterosaur clade Pterodactyloidea. Based on several features such as the position of the pneumatic foramen and the particular shape and proportions of those elements, they possibly are members of, or closely related to, the Anhangueridae. The record of the Australian pterosaurs is reviewed here and represents the known southern distributional limit for Cretaceous pterosaurs, arguing against some older ideas of a more geographically restricted range for these flying reptiles.
ISSN:0311-5518
1752-0754
1752-0754
DOI:10.1080/03115511003656552