科学家发现几年前在巴西发现的部分头骨化石乃是一个新的飞行爬行动物种群，据估计，它们的翼展相当于一辆家用汽车。英国朴次茅斯大学研究员马克·维顿(Mark Witton)证实，这种飞行爬行动物是一种新翼龙，同时也是已发现的个头最大的翼龙家族成员。经分析，新翼龙曾经在1.15亿年前翱翔于巴西蓝天之上。据维顿估计，这种翼龙的翼展可达到16.4英尺(5米)，肩高超过39英寸(1米)。
在巴西发现的部分头骨化石是在中国以外地区发现的第一个无齿翼龙chaoyangopteridae化石。维顿说：“此前在中国发现的一些无齿翼龙家族成员身长只有60厘米(两英尺)，与这个新发现的种群头骨一般大小。简单地说，我们能够在几英里远的地方发现它们的身影，其它任何chaoyangopterid与之相比都变成了‘侏儒’。”维顿以遗骨埋葬地点——大面积水域将这种新翼龙命名为“Lacusovagus”，意为湖泊迷失者。
位于巴西东北部地区的阿拉里皮盆地素以“盛产”化石著称于世。几年前，科学家在这个盆地发现了这个新翼龙头骨化石，化石随后被德国一家博物馆收藏。维顿说：“通常情况下，类似这样的化石在被发现时均保持侧卧姿势，但这个化石却是呈倒立姿态并且曾受到挤压，这就为判断其是否拥有牙齿增加了难度。但我们仍可以很明显地看到这个Lacusovagus的头骨拥有不同寻常的宽度，这暗示了它的饮食习惯，可能尤其喜欢大型猎物。由于遗骨非常不完整，在得出任何结论前，我们还需找到更多样本。巴西的这一发现——与在中国发现的血缘关系最近的物种相隔万里——说明，我们实际上对这个令人着迷的动物种群分部以及近化史知之甚少。”Witton的发现刊登在11月出版的《古生物学》杂志上。（生物谷Bioon.com）
生物谷推荐原始出处：
Palaeontology，doi: 10.1111/j.1475-4983.2008.00811.x，MARK P. WITTON
A NEW AZHDARCHOID PTEROSAUR FROM THE CRATO FORMATION (LOWER CRETACEOUS, APTIAN?) OF BRAZIL
MARK P. WITTON
Palaeobiology Research Group, School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Portsmouth, Burnaby Building, Burnaby Road, Portsmouth PO1 3QL, UK;
ABSTRACT
Abstract: A partial pterosaur skull from the Nova Olinda Member of the Crato Formation (Lower Cretaceous, Aptian?) represents a new edentulous pterodactyloid, Lacusovagus magnificens gen. et sp. nov. The absence of teeth and a large nasoantorbital fenestra suggest assignment to Azhdarchoidea, and the combination of a particularly short, crestless and shallow rostrum and laterally flared jaw margins distinguish it from other azhdarchoid taxa. The position of the new form within Azhdarchoidea is problematic: Lacusovagus is distinguished from Tapejaridae in its straight, as opposed to ventrally displaced, jaw tip and absence of a premaxillary crest; from thalassodromids by the absence of a premaxillary crest; and from Azhdarchidae by the short length of the rostrum and shallow posterodorsal extension of the premaxilla. Lacusovagus shares a shallow, crestless rostrum and a slender posterodorsal premaxillary extension with Jiufotang Formation azhdarchoids such as Chaoyangopterus and Jidapterus. The position of these genera within Azhdarchoidea is controversial, but the suite of plesiomorphic and derived azhdarchoid characters in each suggests a placement between Tapejaridae and Neoazhdarchia. Further research is required, however, to determine the relationships of these genera both to each other and to other azhdarchoids. The new taxon elevates the faunal similarity found between the roughly contemporaneous Jiufotang and Crato formations and continues the pattern of Crato Formation azhdarchoids being much larger than those from the Jehol Group. It also has jaws at least 67 and 55 per cent longer, respectively, than those of the largest azhdarchoids and ornithocheirids from the Crato pterosaur assemblage, making Lacusovagus the largest pterosaur known from this unit.
