Pterosaurs from the Late Cretaceous of Angola
Fernandes, Alexandra; Mateus, Octávio; Andres, Brian; Polcyn, Michael J.; Schulp, Anne; Gonçalves, António Olímpio; Jacobs, Louis L.
(2022) Diversity, volume 14, issue 9, pp. 1 - 27
(Article)
Abstract
Here, we describe the first pterosaur remains from Angola, an assemblage of fourteen bones from the Lower Maastrichtian marine deposits of Bentiaba, Namibe Province. One new species is introduced, Epapatelo otyikokolo, gen. et sp. nov., which comprises an articulated partial left humerus and ulna as well as an articulated left
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ulna and radius (from a second individual). Phylogenetic analysis confirms a non-nyctosaurid pteranodontian attribution for this new taxon and supports a new apomorphy-based clade, Aponyctosauria, which is here defined. Late Cretaceous pteranodontians are rare in Sub-Saharan Africa and throughout the Southern Hemisphere. Preliminary histological analysis also reveals a likely sub-adult age for one of the specimens. This fossil assemblage provides a first glimpse of Angolan pterosaur paleobiodiversity providing further insight into the Gondwanan ecosystems of the Upper Cretaceous.
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Keywords: pterosauria, pteranodontia, Epapatelo otyikokolo, Cretaceous, Maastrichtian, Gondwana, Angola, Namibe Basin
ISSN: 1424-2818
Publisher: Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI)
Note: Funding Information: Projecto PaleoAngola has been supported by GeoBioTec-GeoBioSciences, GeoTechnologies and GeoEngineering NOVA [GeoBioCiências, GeoTecnologias e GeoEngenharias], grant UIDB/04035/2020, National Geographic Society (8039-06 and 8250-07), the Petroleum Research Fund of the American Chemical Society (45227-AC8), ISEM at SMU, The Royal Dutch Embassy in Luanda, TAP Airlines, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, Sonangol EP, Esso Angola, the Perot Museum of Nature and Science, Naturalis Biodiversity Center, and The Saurus Institute. Publisher Copyright: © 2022 by the authors.
(Peer reviewed)
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