Very Large Toarcian Jurassic English Pterosaur Found

The humeral head (anterodorsal view) and the scapulocoracoid (medial view) of NHMUK R36634. Scale bar = 10 mm

A pterosaur humerus and scapulocoracoid from the Jurassic Whitby Mudstone Formation, and the evolution of large body size in early pterosaurs

Authors:

1. Michael O'Sullivan (a)
2. David M. Martill (a)
3. David Groocock (b)

Affiliations:

a. School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth, PO1 3QL, UK

b. 77 Osborne Terrace, Stacksteads, Bacup, Lancashire OL1 8JY, UK

Abstract:

Early Jurassic pterosaurs are rare and display low diversity with only three well known genera for a period of ~21 million years duration. The Hettangian-Pliensbachian Dimorphodon reached a wingspan estimated at only 1.3 m, while the Lower Toarcian forms Dorygnathus and Campylognathoides reached wings spans of 1.8 m. Here we describe a new specimen of Toarcian pterosaur from the north east coast of England that may have achieved an estimated wingspan between 1.6 and 3.2 m.