Gwawinapterus

Gwa-we-na-op-teh-rus.
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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

Gwawinapterus (Gwa'wina wing).

Phonetic

Gwa-we-na-op-teh-rus.

Named By

Philip J. Currie & Victoria M. Arbour - 2011.

Classification

Chordata, Teleostomi, Osteichthyes, Actinopterygii, Ichthyodectiformes, Saurodontidae.

Diet

Piscivore?

Species

G. beardi

Size

Unavailable.

Known locations

Canada, British Columbia, Hornby Island, Collishaw Point.

Time Period

Campanian of the Cretaceous.

Fossil representation

Specimen in a rock that had to be cut open.

In Depth

       Gwawinapterus was originally named as a new genus of pterosaur in‭ ‬2011,‭ ‬however doubts were soon raised about the genus.‭ ‬Firstly a‭ ‬2012‭ ‬study‭ (‬Witton‭) ‬noted a highly unusual form of tooth replacement unknown in pterosaurs.‭ ‬Then another‭ ‬2012‭ ‬study‭ (‬Vullo,‭ ‬Buffetaut‭ & ‬Everhart‭) ‬came to the conclusion that the Gwawinapterus‭ ‬holotype fossil‭ ‬was not actually from a pterosaur,‭ ‬but of a‭ ‬fish.

Further Reading

– An istiodactylid pterosaur from the Upper Cretaceous Nanaimo Group, Hornby Island, British Columbia, Canada. – Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences 48:63-69. – V. M. Arbour & P. J. Currie – 2011. – New Insights into the Skull of Istiodactylus latidens (Ornithocheiroidea, Pterodactyloidea). – PLoS ONE, 7(3). – M. P. Witton – 2012. – Reappraisal of Gwawinapterus beardi from the Late Cretaceous of Canada: a saurodontid fish, not a pterosaur. – Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, 32(5): 1198-1201 – R. Vullo, E. Buffetaut & M. J. Everhart – 2012.

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