| Chaoyangopterids Temporal range: Early Cretaceous, 125–120 Ma |
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|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | †Pterosauria |
| Suborder: | †Pterodactyloidea |
| clade: | †Neoazhdarchia |
| Family: | †Chaoyangopteridae Lü et al., 2008 |
| Type species | |
| †Chaoyangopterus zhangi Wang & Zhou, 2003 |
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| Genera | |
The Chaoyangopteridae are a family of pterosaurs within the Azhdarchoidea.
The clade Chaoyangopteridae was first defined in 2008 by Lü Junchang and David Unwin as: "Chaoyangopterus, Shenzhoupterus, their most recent common ancestor and all taxa more closely related to this clade than to Tapejara, Tupuxuara or Quetzalcoatlus".[1] Based on neck and limb proportions, it has been suggested they occupied a similar ecological niche to that of azhdarchid pterosaurs[2], though it is possible they were more specialised as several genera occur in Liaoning, while azhdarchids usually occur by one genus in a specific location. The Chaoyangopteridae are mostly known from Asia, though the possible member Lacusovagus occurs in South America[3] and there are possible fossil remains from Africa.