Allkauren koi - New Species of Argentinan Pterosaur

[Anchiornis]

An amazingly well-preserved Jurassic rhamporhyncoid pterosaur known as Allkauren koi has been discovered in South America. Here is the article from SciNews:

 

Pterosaurs were highly successful flying reptiles that lived between 210 million and 65 million years ago.

These creatures were Earth’s first winged vertebrates, with birds and bats making their appearances much later. They first appeared in the Late Triassic and went on to achieve high levels of morphologic and taxonomic diversity during the Mesozoic era, with more than 150 species recognized so far.

Pterosaurs have traditionally been divided into two major groups: the primitive, primarily long-tailed rhamphorhynchoids (preferably currently recognized as non-pterodactyloids) and the derived short-tailed pterodactyloids.

They had an extraordinary adaptation to flight, including pneumatic bones to lighten its weight, and an elongated digit supporting a wing membrane. Some were the largest flying animals of all time, with wingspans exceeding 30 feet.

Pterosaurs are not rare in the fossil record, but their neuroanatomy is known from only a few three dimensionally preserved remains and, until now, there was no information on the intermediate forms.

Named Allkauren koi, the newly-discovered winged reptile is represented by several skeletal elements including an almost perfect, three-dimensionally preserved braincase that shows a unique combination of characters shared with both pterodactyloids and breviquartossans (non-pterodactyloids).

The fossilized material comes from a single locality within the Cañadón Asfalto Formation in northern central Chubut Province, Patagonia, Argentina.

“Allkauren koi, from the middle lower Jurassic limit, shows an intermediate state in the brain evolution of pterosaurs and their adaptations to the aerial environment,” said Dr. Diego Pol, a paleontologist at the Museum of Paleontology Egidio Feruglio in Trelew, Chubut, Argentina.

“As a result, this research makes an important contribution to the understanding of the evolution of all of pterosaurs.”

Life restoration:

 

Skeletal elements:

 

[doushantuo]

https://peerj.com/articles/2311.pdf

[FossilDudeCO]

Thanks for sharing!

[TheDubstepAddict]

great article, but a bad reco

[Fossildude19]

2 hours ago, TheDubstepAddict said:

great article, but a bad reco

 

Can you explain why this is a bad reconstruction?

Just curious as to the reasoning.

Regards, 

[doushantuo]

I'll just post this,then

https://peerj.com/articles/2311/

[Anchiornis]

On 9/19/2016 at 1:51 PM, TheDubstepAddict said:

great article, but a bad reco

While it's definitely better than other pterosaur reconstructions out there (for once, they actually gave a pterosaur pycnofibers), I do agree that it looks very shrinkwrapped. Someone better feed this thing!

[TheDubstepAddict]

On 19.9.2016 at 10:21 PM, Fossildude19 said:

 

Can you explain why this is a bad reconstruction?

Just curious as to the reasoning.

Regards, 

For example the posture of the head, the thin wing, the twisted hand, the poor covering of pycnofibers ( remember, it was a small animal that needed to stay warm) or the lack of airsacks.and I would love a more realistic coloration. I made one myself, altho I have to say I did not know about the neck posture when I med it, so it's not 100% accurate. Here is one my friend made, and mine:

[TheDubstepAddict]

On 23.9.2016 at 4:07 AM, Anchiornis said:

While it's definitely better than other pterosaur reconstructions out there (for once, they actually gave a pterosaur pycnofibers), I do agree that it looks very shrinkwrapped. Someone better feed this thing!

 

Just now, TheDubstepAddict said:

For example the posture of the head, the thin wing, the twisted hand, the poor covering of pycnofibers ( remember, it was a small animal that needed to stay warm) or the lack of airsacks.and I would love a more realistic coloration. I made one myself, altho I have to say I did not know about the neck posture when I med it, so it's not 100% accurate. Here is one my friend made, and mine: 

Friends: http://sta.sh/0115lp3949po

Mine:http://thedubstepaddict.deviantart.com/art/ITS-THAT-KOI-O-stuff-WADDUP-635920210

 

On 19.9.2016 at 10:21 PM, Fossildude19 said:

 

Can you explain why this is a bad reconstruction?

Just curious as to the reasoning.

Regards, 

 

[Fossildude19]

1 hour ago, TheDubstepAddict said:

For example the posture of the head, the thin wing, the twisted hand, the poor covering of pycnofibers ( remember, it was a small animal that needed to stay warm) or the lack of airsacks.and I would love a more realistic coloration. I made one myself, altho I have to say I did not know about the neck posture when I med it, so it's not 100% accurate. Here is one my friend made, and mine:

 

 

Thanks for the insight.  

I appreciate your taking the time to answer. 

Regards,

[JohnBrewer]

7 hours ago, TheDubstepAddict said:

Here is one my friend made, and mine:

 

Where?! I'd love to see them!