Jianchangnathus

Name: Jianchangnathus ‭(‬Jianchang jaw‭)‬.
Phonetic: Je-an-chan-na-fus.
Named By: Cheng Xin,‭ ‬Wang Xiaolin,‭ ‬Jiang Shunxing‭ & ‬Alexander W.A.‭ ‬Kellner‭ ‬-‭ ‬2012.
Classification: Chordata,‭ ‬Reptilia,‭ ‬Pterosauria,‭ ‬Rhamphorhynchidae,‭ ‬Scaphognathinae.
Species: J.‭ ‬robustus‭ (‬type‭)‬.
Diet: Piscivore.
Size: Unavailable.
Known locations: China,‭ ‬Hebei province‭ ‬-‭ ‬Tiaojishan Formation.
Time period: Mid Jurassic.
Fossil representation: Single partial specimen.

       Although Jianchangnathus has been found to have several similarities with Scaphognathus,‭ ‬its frontal teeth actually pointed forwards like with Dorygnathus.‭ ‬This may have been to make it easier for Jianchangnathus to pick up fish with its mouth,‭ ‬significantly increasing the chance of successful prey capture.
       Another pterosaur from the same deposit is Fenghuangopterus,‭ ‬a pterosaur which is thought to be different to Jianchangnathus on the basis of differing wing proportions and number of teeth.

Further reading
- A new scaphognathid pterosaur from western Liaoning, China. - Historical Biology 24(1):101-111. - X. Cheng, X. Wang, S. Jiang & A. W. A. Kellner - 2012.



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