A medium-sized robust-necked azhdarchid pterosaur (Pterodactyloidea, Azhdarchidae) from the Maastrichtian of Pui (Hațeg Basin, Transylvania, Romania). (American Museum novitates, no. 3827)

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dc.contributor.authorVremir, Mátyás.
dc.contributor.authorWitton, Mark P., 1984-
dc.contributor.authorNaish, Darren.
dc.contributor.authorDyke, Gareth.
dc.contributor.authorBrusatte, Stephen.
dc.contributor.authorNorell, Mark.
dc.contributor.authorTotoianu, Radu.
dc.date.accessioned2015-03-18T15:37:33Z
dc.date.available2015-03-18T15:37:33Z
dc.date.issued2015-03-17
dc.description16 pages : illustrations (some color), map ; 26 cm.en_US
dc.description.abstractWe describe a pterosaurian cervical vertebra collected from Maastrichtian sediments at the Pui locality in the Hațeg Basin, Romania. This specimen, a medium-sized, robust fourth cervical, is distinctive in morphology and represents a new, as yet unrecognized, azhdarchid pterosaur size class within the Haţeg Island fauna: it most likely belongs to a new taxon which we opt not to name here. The vertebra is referred to Azhdarchidae based on clearly preserved diagnostic features characteristic of this group and differs in proportions and anatomical details from the recently named azhdarchid Eurazhdarcho langendorfensis Vremir et al., 2013a, from the Sebeș region of the Transylvanian basin. We take issue with claims that all Maastrichtian Romanian azhdarchids (and other penecontemporaneous azhdarchids and azhdarchoids) should be uncritically assumed to be synonymous: it ignores anatomical characters that allow the specimens concerned to be differentiated and is based on an erroneous "one stratum, one species" philosophy contradicted by empirical data from other azhdarchoid assemblages. It has been suggested that the absence of small to medium-sized pterosaurs in Upper Cretaceous sediments is indicative of an evolutionary trend. However, evidence from the Hațeg Island fauna may indicate instead that smaller-sized pterosaurs were indeed present in this interval but remain underrepresented due to rare preservation and collection.en_US
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/2246/6582
dc.language.isoen_USen_US
dc.publisherAmerican Museum of Natural History.en_US
dc.relation.ispartofseriesAmerican Museum novitates, no. 3827.en_US
dc.subjectAzhdarchidae.en_US
dc.subjectPterosauria.en_US
dc.subjectReptiles, Fossil.en_US
dc.subjectHațeg Region (Hunedoara, Romania)en_US
dc.subjectRomania.en_US
dc.titleA medium-sized robust-necked azhdarchid pterosaur (Pterodactyloidea, Azhdarchidae) from the Maastrichtian of Pui (Hațeg Basin, Transylvania, Romania). (American Museum novitates, no. 3827)en_US
dc.title.alternativeNew pterosaur from Romania.en_US

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