Carniadactylus

Car-nee-ah-dak-tyl-us.
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Benjamin Gutierrez

Vertebrate Paleontologist

Benjamin Gutierrez is a leading expert on dinosaurs, particularly the mighty theropods. His fieldwork in South America has uncovered new species and provided insights into dinosaur social structures.

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Name

Carniadactylus (Carnia finger).

Phonetic

Car-nee-ah-dak-tyl-us.

Named By

Classification

Chordata, Reptilia, Pterosauria, Campylognathoididae.

Diet

Carnivore/Insectivore.

Species

C. rosenfeldi

Size

70 centimetre wingspan.

Known locations

Italy.

Time Period

Norian of the Triasssic.

Fossil representation

2 individuals of partial remains.

In Depth

       Carniadactylus was born out of the realisation that a pterosaur specimen that was attributed to Eudimorphodon actually represented a different genus. Aside from being smaller than Eudimorphodon, one of the main areas of difference is the proportionately longer legs of Carniadactylus. Since it has now been placed within the campylognathoididae, Carniadactylus is considered to be similar to caviramus.

       Carniadactylus has multicusped teeth like in Eudimorphodon though not as worn. Because the teeth of Carniadactylus show very little wear it is thought that it may have fed upon soft bodied invertebrates that would have provided ample sustenance to keep its smaller body going.

Further Reading

– Anatomy and systematics of the pterosaur Carniadactylus gen. n. rosenfeldi (Dalla Vecchia, 1995). – Revista Italiana di Paleontologia e Stratigrafia 115:159-188. – F. M. Dalla Vecchia – 2009.

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