Lone Star Pterosaurs

Abstract

ABSTRACT The state of Texas has one of the greatest records of pterosaurs in the world, surpassing all other US states and most countries in the number of occurrences. Uniquely, this record extends over the entire 150+ million history of the Pterosauria. A review of this pterosaur record confirms at least 30 pterosaurs known from 13 occurrences, including five valid species. The holotypes of two of these species have been described before and are diagnosed and erected here as the new species Radiodactylus langstoni , gen. et sp. nov., named in honour of Dr. Wann Langston Jr, the father of Texas pterosaurology, and Alamodactylus byrdi , gen. et sp. nov.. Phylogenetic analysis of all Texas pterosaurs that can be coded for more than one character confirms that these species are distinct from others and occupy phylogenetic positions close to their original classifications. Radiodactylus langstoni is recovered as a non-azhdarchid azhdarchoid, Quetzalcoatlus northropi as an azhdarchid, Alamodactylus byrdi as a non-pteranodontoid pteranodontian, Aetodactylus as a pteranodontoid, and Coloborhynchus wadleighi as an ornithocheirid. The presence of eudimorphodontid, dsungaripterid, as well as other azhdarchid and pteranodontoid pterosaurs, is also confirmed in Texas.