Cacibupteryx
| Cacibupteryx Temporal range: Late Jurassic | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Sauropsida |
| Order: | Pterosauria |
| Suborder: | Rhamphorhynchoidea |
| Family: | Rhamphorhynchidae |
| Genus: | Cacibupteryx Gasparini, Fernández, and de la Fuente, 2004 |
| Binomial name | |
| Cacibupteryx caribensis Gasparini, Fernández, and de la Fuente, 2004 | |
Cacibupteryx is a genus of rhamphorhynchid "rhamphorhynchoid" pterosaur from the middle-late Oxfordian-age Upper Jurassic Jagua Formation of Pinar del Río, Cuba.
The genus was named in 2004 by Zulma Gasparini, Marta Fernández and Marcelo de la Fuente. The type species is Cacibupteryx caribensis. The genus name is derived from Cacibu, the "Lord of the Sky" in Taíno and Greek pteryx, "wing". The specific name refers to the Caribbean, Caribe in Spanish.
The genus is based on holotype IGO-V 208, a partial but well-preserved uncrushed skull — missing the tip of the snout, teeth, and lower jaws — and fragmentary left wing: the distal end of the ulna, fragments of the radius, and the first and fourth phalanx of the wing finger. The partial skull is seventeen centimeters long (6.7 inches), is preserved in three dimensions, and has a broad roof. The wingspan and length were not estimated by the describers, but it was indicated to be a relatively large form.[1]
The describers assigned Cacibupteryx to the Rhamphorhynchidae. Although there is little overlapping material with contemporaneous Nesodactylus from the same location, the two are clearly different as proven by details of the elbow and quadrate. Cacibupteryx is one of the most complete Oxfordian pterosaurs, and demonstrates additional Oxfordian pterosaur diversity.[1] Recent reviews have supported its assignment as a "rhamphorhynchoid" (i.e. basal pterosaur),[2] with David Unwin suggesting it was a member of the Scaphognathinae, a rhamphorhynchid subfamily featuring more robust jaws.[3]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Gasparini, Zulma; Fernández, Marta; and de la Fuente, Marcelo (2004). "A new pterosaur from the Jurassic of Cuba". Palaeontology 47 (4): 919–927. doi:10.1111/j.0031-0239.2004.00399. Retrieved 2007-03-03.
- ↑ Glut, Donald F. (2006). "Cacibupteryx". Dinosaurs: The Encyclopedia. 4th Supplement. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company, Inc. p. 592. ISBN 0-7864-2295-5.
- ↑ Unwin, David M. (2006). The Pterosaurs: From Deep Time. New York: Pi Press. p. 272. ISBN 0-13-146308-X.
External links
- Cacibupteryx in The Pterosauria