Nemicolopterus: Research Database
Pterodactyloidea (Pterosauria) · Early Cretaceous (~120 MYA) · Asia — China (Liaoning)
Research Note: Nemicolopterus was a small pterodactyloid pterosaur from the Early Cretaceous Yixian Formation of Liaoning, China. As one of the smallest known pterosaurs, it provides important data on pterosaur growth, ecology, and the evolution of small body size in pterodactyloids.
| Research Finding | Status | Grade | Year | Method | Citation | Impact |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Lü & Ji 2011: Nemicolopterus and small-bodied pterosaurs from the Yixian Formation
Lü & Ji 2011 describe Nemicolopterus from the Early Cretaceous Yixian Formation of Liaoning, China, establishing it as one of the smallest known pterosaurs and documenting its significance for understanding pterosaur growth and ecology in the Early Cretaceous of Asia
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Confirmed | A | 2011 | Fossil | Lü & Ji, Cretaceous Research | Taxonomy |
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Martill 2013: New data on pterosaur diversity from the Cretaceous of Liaoning
Martill 2013 provides additional data on pterosaur diversity from the Yixian Formation, contextualising Nemicolopterus within the broader evolutionary history of pterodactyloid pterosaurs in the Early Cretaceous of China
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Confirmed | B | 2013 | Fossil | Martill, Cretaceous Research | Diversity |
Active Debate: Pterosaur Growth, Small Body Size, and Arboreal vs. Terrestrial Locomotion
Whether Nemicolopterus represents a truly small adult or a juvenile of a larger species is debated. Some researchers argue its small size and curved pedal phalanges indicate an arboreal lifestyle, while others suggest it may be a juvenile form of a known pterodactyloid. The phylogenetic position of Nemicolopterus within Pterodactyloidea also remains contested, with some studies placing it as a basal ctenochasmatoid and others suggesting it may belong to a more derived group.
Additionally, the discovery of multiple small pterosaurs in the Jehol Biota raises questions about niche partitioning among pterosaurs of different body sizes in this Early Cretaceous ecosystem.
What We Still Do Not Know About Nemicolopterus
- Definitive adult status: Whether it is a mature adult or juvenile remains debated.
- Complete skeletal morphology: Known from a partial specimen.
- Wing membrane extent: Incomplete preservation limits study.
- Diet: Likely insectivorous, based on inferred ecology.
In Depth
Nemicolopterus is currently regarded as the smallest known pterosaur, and it is almost inconceivable from looking at it that on the other end of the pterosaur size scale would be giants like Quetzalcoatlus and Hatzegopteryx with wingspans of eleven meters. The curved claws of Nemicolopterus indicate that it could have perched upon branches in the tree canopy, and maybe used them for climbing as well. By living in the tree canopy it could avoid the majority of the predators of the time and would have used its toothless beak to catch small insects, either in flight or plucking them from the trees.
Since its discovery, it has been suggested that Nemicolopterus may actually represent the juvenile form of another pterosaur, most probably Sinopterus. These would fit with other juvenile forms of other pterosaurs that had a differing morphology and ecological niche to their adult kin. Only new fossil material from ideally both genera can resolve the issue without doubt.
Further Reading
Further reading
