A new specimen of the azhdarchoid pterosaur Tapejara wellnhoferi

Abstract

A new specimen of the Early Cretaceous azhdarchoid Tapejara wellnhoferi is described from the Romualdo Member of the Santana Formation, NE Brazil, providing the first detailed account of the postcranial skeleton. Although limited in its preservation, the osteology is typical of other azhdarchoid pterosaurs from these deposits and represents a juvenile animal with a relatively small wing span of < 1.5 m. The ratios of the pedal elements are identical to those noted for larger, indeterminate azhdarchoids of the Nova Olinda Member of the Crato Formation, where the unguals of the pes are greatly enlarged relative to those of the ornithocheiroids that co-inhabited the Santana lagoon. The ratios of these elements suggest that, as part of a larger suite of characters, these animals were likely better adapted for life on the ground than their ornithocheiroid relatives.