Biology

Taxon

Paleontology

Snout

Cretaceous

Genus

Skull

Anatomy

Zoology

Arquivos do Museu Nacional (Rio de Janeiro)

An incomplete pterosaur skull was found in the Albian marine Toolebuc Formation near Hughenden, Queensland, Australia. Although only the snout and part of the jaws are preserved, the specimen has two unique characters: posterior dentary teeth relatively large (approximately half the depth of the dentary) and posterior dentary and maxillary teeth relatively widely spaced (only 3 maxillary teeth between the last enlarged tooth and the nasopreorbital opening), and a unique combination of other characters. Thus, it is assigned to the new genus and species, Mythunga camara gen.nov., sp.nov., provisionally related to plesiomorphic pterodactyloids. The snout was apparently hollow with a boxlike internal structure, supporting the characterization of pterosaurs as 'optical illusions'. This specimen represents at least the second pterosaur taxon from Queensland.

AN INCOMPLETE PTEROSAUR SKULL FROM THE CRETACEOUS OF NORTH-CENTRAL QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA 1