A new pterosaur remain from the Neuquén Group, Late Cretaceous of Patagonia

HALUZA, ALEJANDRO; CANALE, JUAN IGNACIO

San Rafael, Provincia de Mendoza, Argentina

Jornada; XXIV Jornadas Argentinas de Paleontología de Vertebrados; 2009

The fossil record of pterosaurs in Neuquén Group had revealed some fragmentary remains in the last years. Anyway, these materials showed a relatively high diversity of forms, ranging in a wide variety of sizes and taxonomic groups. Herewe present a new material (MMCH-Pv 53) consisting in a proximal end of a left ulna, referable to a medium sized pterosaur. This remain was founded in Cabo Alarcón peninsula, between Villa El Chocón and Picún Leufú localities (Neuquen Province) from the lower levels of the Candeleros Formation (Cenomaniano). The preserved material is anteroposteriorly crushed and deformed, mainly in the epiphysis. The articular facets show a similar development to other pterosaurian ulnae, and the main difference with them consists in a more ventral position of the tuberculum musculi bicipitis. There is a good correlation between the dorsoventral ulnar shaft length and the total wing length in well known pterosaurs with complete wings; therefore an estimation of the total wing span can be inferred as about 142-153 cm. These inferred size matches well with the maker of the pterosaurian ichnites: Pteraichnus isp., recovered at the same formation. Considering this estimation of size and its morphological features it can be postulated that MMCH-PV 53 differs from the previously known pterosaur materials recovered at Candeleros Formation, showing a relatively high diversity of flying reptiles in the Cenomanian of northern Patagonia.