Thapunngaka

Fah-pun-gah-kah.
Published on

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.

Cite Feedback Print

Name

Thapunngaka ‭(‬spear jaw‭)‬.

Phonetic

Fah-pun-gah-kah.

Named By

T.‭ ‬M.‭ ‬Richards,‭ ‬P.‭ ‬E.‭ ‬Stumkat‭ & ‬S.‭ ‬W.‭ ‬Salisbury‭ ‬-‭ ‬2021.

Classification

Chordata,‭ ‬Reptilia,‭ ‬Pterosauria,‭ ‬Pterodactyloidea,‭ ‬Anhangueridae,‭ ‬Tropeognathinae.

Diet

Piscivore.

Species

T.‭ ‬shawi‭

Size

Unknown due to lack of remains.

Known locations

Australia‭ ‬-‭ ‬Toolebuc Formation.

Time Period

Early Cretaceous.

Fossil representation

Partial lower jaw.

In Depth

       Thapunngaka is a genus of pterosaur that lived in Australia during the early Cretaceous.‭ ‬The holotype of Thapunngaka is the anterior section of a lower jaw,‭ ‬and this makes establishing the body form and size of Thapunngaka very difficult and impossible to do with certainty.‭ ‬However,‭ ‬Thapunngaka does seem to‭ ‬have been a mid to large pterosaur that could have approached and maybe even exceeded a wingspan of six meters or more.

Further reading

-‭ ‬A new species of crested pterosaur‭ (‬Pterodactyloidea,‭ ‬Anhangueridae‭) ‬from the Lower Cretaceous‭ (‬upper Albian‭) ‬of Richmond,‭ ‬North West Queensland,‭ ‬Australia.‭ ‬-‭ ‬Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology.‭ ‬41‭ (‬3‭)‬.‭ ‬-‭ ‬T.‭ ‬M.‭ ‬Richards,‭ ‬P.‭ ‬E.‭ ‬Stumkat‭ & ‬S.‭ ‬W.‭ ‬Salisbury‭ ‬-‭ ‬2021.

Adopt A Species
prehistoric-wildlife new logo

Love this species?

Adopt it today!

(UPDATED!)

SPECIES SPOTLIGHT