Vectidraco
Holotype of Vectidraco ( Fossil left pelvic bone with eddies )
- Atherfield Clay ( UK )
- Vectidraco daisymorriae Naish et al., 2013
Vectidraco is a genus of pterosaur ( Pterosauria ). Their representatives lived in the late Cretaceous period ( about 126 mya ) on the northeast edge of the Tethys and reached an estimated size of 35 cm, while its wingspan was probably at about 75 cm. The fossil material of the genus includes a pelvic bone, some vertebrae and a piece of the ischium, which were all found in the Clay Atherfield the Isle of Wight.
The genus and its single species - Vectidraco daisymorrisae - were first described in 2013 by Darren Naish, Martin Simpson and Gareth Dyke. Given the morphology of the basin Vectidraco is provided by the authors in the group of Azhdarchoidea, which was characterized by bony brow ridges, short tails and high, toothless beaks.
Features
Compared with other Azhdarchoiden the fossil bones of Vectidraco are relatively small: The basin has a length of about 40 mm. Taking the proportions of similar large genus Tapejara based, then there is an approximate body length of 35 cm and a wingspan of about 75 cm. This Vectidraco was significantly smaller than the late Cretaceous Quetzalcoatlus and Hatzegopteryx, reached the span of about 10 m. The fact that it is the one adult animals with these sizes, can be seen in the completed ossification of the holotype.
Diagnostic characters of Vectidraco are a remotely triangular indentation that is Postero the acetabulum and posteroventral is bounded by a bony crest. The postacetabuläre extension has on the anteromedial surface on a large oval fossa. In addition, also as autapomorphy the proportions of postacetabulären extension are considered, whose length corresponds approximately to its convex end surface.
Way of life
Over the life of Vectidraco can hardly make concrete statements. Looking at other azhdarchoide pterosaurs is assumed that the animals were moving on all fours. The fossils of the genus originate from marine sediments that were deposited during the lifetime of the genus on the northeast edge of the Tethys.
Fossil material, distribution and stratigraphy
The fossil remains of Vectidraco - a left pelvic bone, parts of the back spine and a fragment of the right ischium - come from the lower Atherfield Clay of the Isle of Wight. This formation is part of the Wealden Group, are summarized in the different rock formations from the lower Cretaceous of Britain. Under the inventory number NHMUK PV R36621, they function as the holotype of the species Vecticodraco daisymorrisae. The Fund layer is probably the Chale Clay Member, which correlates with the biostratigraphic Deshayesites - forbesi ammonite - zone or the Deshayesites - fittoni - Ammonitensubzone. It dates from the early Aptian and thus has an age of about 126.3 million years.
System
The finds from the Isle of Wight featured Darren Naish, Martin Simpson and Gareth Dyke 2013, the genus Vectidraco (from " Latin vectis " for the Isle of Wight and " draco " for Dragon ) on. The species of the genus underlying they called Vecticodraco daisymorrisae, the epithet the finder of the holotype, Daisy Morris, honors that had been found in 2009 as a four year old stuck in the sand fossil remains. Based on the morphology of the pelvic bone, they conducted a phylogenetic analysis of several known pterosaur genera Vectidraco situate within the Azhdarchoidea but outside the Neoazhdarchidae.