Amazing new genera and species of Gnathosaurine Pterosaur Garudapterus buffetauti It has been identified from the upper jaw of fossils found in eastern Thailand.
Garudapterus buffetauti. Image credits: Dinothaithai / Manitkoon et al. doi: 10.1016/j.cretres.2025.106135.
“Pterosaulia is the order of extinct flying reptiles that once lived among dinosaurs during the Mesozoic era, with fossil records from the late Triassic to the end of the Cretaceous period.”
“Traditionally, Pterosaurs had two major groups.”
“The first branches generally have a long tail and a long fifth toe (traditionally known as the vacuum subsystem Rhamphorhynchoidea, now abolished).”
“The second one is Pterodactyloidea a large group with a high tail shrinking, relatively long metacarpal, short or non-existent fifth toe. ”
Garudapterus buffetauti It belongs to Gnathosaurinae a subfamily of pterodas within the Pterodactyloidea group.
The new species lived in what is now Thailand 130 million years ago, 130 million years ago, during the early Cretaceous period.
Fossilized sites of flying reptiles were found in the Pra Prong area in the southern region of the Phanom Dong Lac Mountains in Sa Keo province, Thailand.
Holotype of Garudapterus buffetauti – The first pterocortic skull material in Thailand – consists of a partial stud and five incomplete teeth from one individual.
“The anterior of the platoon is flattened dorsoventral and laterally expanded (spoon-shaped) shows an affinity for Gunasosaurnae,” the paleontologist said.
“The alveolar boundaries are severely scalloped and are like a collar, and the surface of the palate shows a pair of sine wave grooves.”
“These features have strong similarities to Gunasosaurin from the late Jurassic period. Gnathosaurus suburatus, Tacuadactylus luciae and Lucegnatos Almadrava. ”
Team phylogenetic analysis shows this Garudapterus buffetauti It is closely related to these Gnathosaurines.
“Even so, Thai gunasosaurin is unique and recognized as a new species for displaying the kite-shaped podium expansion,” the researchers said.
“This new specimen provides important information about Pterosaurs, including updated data to help us better understand diversity and distribution across Southeast Asia.”
Team’s paper It was published in the journal this month Cretaceous Research.
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Shitamanitokoon et al. The first ganaurin (Pterosauria, Pterodactyloidea) in the early Cretaceous period in eastern Thailand. Cretaceous Research Published online on March 28th, 2025. doi:10.1016/j.cretres.2025.106135
Source: www.sci.news
