Lower Cretaceous Period

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Domeykodactulus ceciliae

 

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Domeykodactylus  (Domeyko finger) ceciliae (after Cecilia Damargasso)

From the Cordillera de Domeyko mountain range in the Chilean Andes.  The original was classified as Pterodaustro, but on closer inspection was found to be the first Dsungeripterid from South America.  The material consists of a partial mandible, including the left and right rami and symphysis. Another fragment of a crested maxilla was assigned to the same taxon.  The skull length is estimated at 30cm, which would give this species an approximate wingspan of 1m.

Type specimen: 250973, Departmento de Ciencias Geologicas, Universidad Catolica del Norte, Antogafasta, Chile.

Frey, E., Martill, D. M., Chong-Diaz, G. & Bell, M. 1997, New pterosaurs from the Lower Cretaceous of Chile. J. Vert. Paleont. 17 (3),

Martill, D. M., Frey, E., Chiong-Diaz, G. & Bell, M. 1998, Reinterpretation of a Chilean pterosaur: first record of Dsungeripteridae in South America, Geol. Mag.