The function of the cranial crest and jaws of a unique pterosaur from the Early Cretaceous of Brazil
- PMID: 12130783
- DOI: 10.1126/science.1073186
The function of the cranial crest and jaws of a unique pterosaur from the Early Cretaceous of Brazil
Abstract
The discovery of a previously undescribed pterosaur, Thalassodromeus sethi, yields information on the function of cranial crests and the feeding strategy developed by these extinct flying reptiles. The material consists of a large skull (length: 1420 millimeters, including the crest) with a huge bony crest that was well irrigated by blood vessels and may have been used for regulation of its body temperature. The rostrum consists of two bladelike laminae, the arrangement of which is analogous to the condition found in the bird Rynchops, which skims over the water to catch food, indicating that T. sethi also may have been a skimmer.
Comment in
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Form, function, and the flight of the pterosaur.Science. 2002 Sep 27;297(5590):2207-8; author reply 2207-8. doi: 10.1126/science.297.5590.2207b. Science. 2002. PMID: 12353519 No abstract available.
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