Xinjiang's first discovery of a large number of male and female pteranodon and saved three dimensional fossil eggs | | pterosaur fossil in Xinjiang _ news
Xinhuanet, Beijing, June 6 (reporter Wu Jingjing)-through nearly a decade of field study, researcher at the Institute of vertebrate paleontology and paleoanthropology research team led by Wang Xiaolin, Hami area in Xinjiang in China found new Cretaceous pterosaur fauna. This pterosaur fossil range is not only the world's richest and largest known pterosaur fossil origin, is currently the world's only stereoscopic save pterodactyl eggs and the female and male individual pterosaur fossil site of symbiosis.
Wang Xiaolin and Brazil National Museum yalishanda·kaierna international team of paleontologists, 5th local time famous online edition of the journal current biology reported on this important discovery.
Scientists in Hami, detailed study of the lower Cretaceous strata in the approximately 40 male and female of the same species individuals and their 5-egg fossil pterosaurs, and named this new pterosaur Hami tianshan mountains pterodactyl.
According to reports, the fossils buried in early Cretaceous lacustrine storm deposits, although there is no complete Fossil skeleton was found, but found a complete skull and lower jaws, saved and every piece of scattered bones are intact, no sign of destruction were moved. "When flying birds and pterosaurs such as weight reduction needs, slender hollow bones, fossils are found when they are crushed. This pterosaur fossil bones found almost intact. "Wang Xiaolin said.
He said: "this represents more than 100 million years ago in lakes of sudden large storms, leading to live on a lake and soar through the sky pterodactyl was in devastating clusters was killed, and they produced at the Lakeshore beach with eggs quickly buried in the soft mud. ”
Scientists to study this pterosaur taxa, pterodactyl bi-model, ontogeny, pterosaur egg and eggshell microstructure, reproductive and ecological habits has made some important progress. Such as Hami found characteristic of the largest pterosaurs is their development was on the skull "headgear"-formerly the jaw Ridge, headdresses of different size, shape, thickness, is the sign of the discriminant of male and female individuals.
Scientists also discovered by the 5 stereoscopic save pterodactyl egg was studied. Previously the world's only 4 flattened two-dimensional pterodactyl egg was reported. "We found pterosaur egg has a double structure, outer layer is a thin calcareous shell, the inner layer of thick leathery soft shell membrane, and reptiles such as snakes, some ' soft shell eggs ' are very similar. First defined the pterosaur eggshell structure and morphology of the egg. "Wang Xiaolin said.
International paleontological researches on the highly praised the discovery. Theses two reviewers agreed that this is pteranodon studies 200 years one of the most exciting discoveries, represent the research discoveries in the field of pterosaurs.
16:03 June 06, 2014 The website
