Chaoyangopterus

Chow-yang-op-teh-rus.
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John Stewart

Paleoecologist

John Stewart is a distinguished paleoecologist whose work has significantly advanced our understanding of prehistoric ecosystems. With over two decades dedicated to unearthing fossils across Asia and Africa

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Name

Chaoyangopterus (Chaoyang wing).

Phonetic

Chow-yang-op-teh-rus.

Named By

Wang & Zhou - 2003.

Classification

Chordata, Reptilia, Pterosauria, Pterodactyloidea, Azhdarchoidea, Chaoyangopteridae.

Diet

Carnivore/Piscivore.

Species

C. zhangi (type)

Size

1.85 meter wingspan.

Known locations

China, Liaoning Province - Jiufotang formation.

Time Period

Aptian of the Cretaceous.

Fossil representation

Partial skeleton.

In Depth

       Determining the phylogenetic position of Chaoyangopterus was problematic to the extent that the Chaoyangopteridae has now been created within the Azhdarchoidea to accommodate it and other similar pterosaurs. Chaoyangopterus is toothless and is thought to have been a piscivore.

Further Reading

– Two new pterodactyloid pterosaurs from the Early Cretaceous Jiufotang Formation of western Liaoning, China. – Vertebrata PalAsiatica 41(1):34-41. – X.-L. Wang & Z.-H. Zhou – 2003.

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