Zhenyuanopterus
| Zhenyuanopterus Temporal range: Early Cretaceous, 124.6Ma | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Order: | †Pterosauria |
| Family: | †Boreopteridae |
| Subfamily: | †Boreopterinae |
| Genus: | †Zhenyuanopterus Lü, 2010 |
| Species: | † Z. longirostris |
| Binomial name | |
| Zhenyuanopterus longirostris Lü, 2010 | |
Zhenyuanopterus is a genus of pterosaur which is known from Lower Cretaceous (early Aptian) Yixian Formation of Liaoning, China.[1]
Paleaoecology
It has been suggested that Zhenyuanopterus foraged while swimming, trapping prey within its needle-like teeth, a method similar to that of modern Platanista river dolphins, which display a similar dentition.[2]
It has been often suggested that this animal is actually the adult of its close relative Boreopterus, which is known to be a juvenile.[2]
References
- ↑ Lü, J. (2010). "A new boreopterid pterodactyloid pterosaur from the Early Cretaceous Yixian Formation of Liaoning Province, northeastern China". Acta Geologica Sinica 24: 241–246. doi:10.1111/j.1755-6724.2010.00204.x.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Mark Witton, 2011