Eosipterus

• China, Liaoning ( Jehol Group)

• Eosipterus Yangi Ji & Ji, 1997

Eosipterus is a genus of short-tailed pterosaurs ( Pterodactyloidea ) from the Lower Cretaceous of China. This pterosaur was described in 1997 with the only kind Eosipterus Yangi first time scientifically, based on a fragmentary skull -less skeleton from the Yixian Formation ( Jehol Group) in western Liaoning. It was the first discovered in this region fossil of a pterosaur. Another, more complete, but also skull -less skeleton was described in 2006.

The name Eosipterus means something like "Wings of the Dawn " (Greek eos - " Dawn ", " early and east "; pteryx - "wings" ) and is intended to indicate the location of this pterosaur in eastern China.

Features

Eosipterus was a small short-tailed pterosaur with a wingspan of less than 1.25 meters. The Elle ( ulna ) was about the same as the shinbone ( tibia) and the second, forming the wing finger. The humerus (humerus ) is slightly longer than the tibia.

System

Ji and Ji (1997) classified as Eosipterus not attributable representative of the short-tailed pterosaurs ( Pterodactyloidea ). A phylogenetic analysis of Lu and colleagues ( 2006), meanwhile, comes to the conclusion that Eosipterus is classified in the Ctenochasmatidae, a group within the short-tailed pterosaurs.

Finds

The holotype specimen ( specimen number GMV2117 ) is an incomplete skeleton without skull and cervical vertebrae, which was discovered in Beipiao. The second skeleton ( copy number D2514 ) is completely up to the skull was discovered near the village of Sihetun. Both skeletons are from the Lower Yixian Formation.