Microtuban a new azhdarchoid pterosaur

[Dan Chure <danchure@easilink.com>]

Posted for Ben Creisler, who is experiencing internet and server problems.

Dan

From: Ben Creisler
bh480@scn.org

A new advance online paper:

Ross A. Elgin and Eberhard Frey ("2011")
A new azhdarchoid pterosaur from the Cenomanian (Late Cretaceous) of Lebanon.
Swiss Journal of Geosciences (advance online publication)
DOI: 10.1007/s00015-011-0081-1
http://www.springerlink.com/content/l202l996565670wn/

A new pterosaur, Microtuban altivolans gen. et sp. nov., is described from the 
Sannine Formation of northern Lebanon. The specimen is the first pterosaur from 
the Early Cenomanian (Late Cretaceous) locality of Hjoula and is regarded as 
the most complete pterosaur fossil discovered from Africa. While postcranial 
characters indicate a possible relationship with members of the 
Thalassodromidae or Chaoyangopteridae, the specimen possesses an exceptionally 
short wing-finger phalanx 4, forming only 1.1% of the total length of the 
wing-finger. Its appearance along with an unnamed ornithocheiroid from the 
slightly younger locality of Haqel suggests that a number of pterosaur taxa 
existed within the local area, perhaps living on exposed carbonate platforms.



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