sábado, 21 de julho de 2012

NOVA ESPÉCIE DE PTEROSSAURO ENCONTRADO NA EUROPA

Europejara olcadesorum é uma nova espécie de pterossauro descoberta na Europa. Baseado em um crânio incompleto encontrado no famoso depósito cretáceo de Las Hoyas, na Espanha, o novo pterossauro pertence ao grupo Tapejaridae, que foi originalmente encontrado no Brasil e, posteriormente, na África e na China. O estudo, realizado por Romain Vullo (Université de Rennes, França) com a participação deste colunista, foi publicado com destaque na PloS One. No trabalho, discute-se a hipótese de os tapejarídeos terem participado ativamente da dispersão das angiospermas.

http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.003890

thumbnailFigure 1. Photographs of the holotype of Europejara olcadesorum gen. et sp. nov. (MCCM-LH 9413).
(A) Main slab under ultraviolet light. (B) Acid-prepared counterslab. Scale bar: 50 mm.
doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0038900.g001
thumbnailFigure 2. Line drawing of the holotype of Europejara olcadesorum gen. et sp. nov. and life restoration.
(A) Interpretative line drawing of the skull as observed on the acid-prepared counterslab. (B) Reconstruction of the skull (based in part on Tapejara) showing preserved parts in red. Life restoration of the head of Europejara in lateral (C) and frontal (D) views. apj, anterior process of the jugal; aprj, anterior process of the right jugal; d, dentary; ec, ectopterygoid; hy, hyoids; j, jugal; l, lacrimal; ld, left dentary; lj, left jugal; lm, left maxilla; lpo, left postorbital; lq, left quadrate; lsa, left surangular; lsq, left squamosal; ltf, lower temporal fenestra; m, maxilla; naof, nasoantorbital fenestra; o, orbit; pf, postfrontal; po, postorbital; pt, pterygoid; q, quadrate; rap, retroarticular process; rd, right dentary; rm, right maxilla; scd, sagittal crest of the dentary; scp, scleral plates; sq, squamosal. Scale bar: 50 mm.
doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0038900.g002
thumbnailFigure 3. Skull of Europejara olcadesorum gen. et sp. nov.
(A) Close-up of the crushed left post-orbital region of the skull (acid-prepared counterslab) in lateral view showing the narrowness of the lower temporal fenestra (ltf), the mandibular condyle of the quadrate (cq) and the distal extremities of the hyoid apparatus (hy). (B) Close-up of the posterior area of the palate (main slab under ultraviolet light) in dorsal view showing the thin, elongated vomer (v) septum separating the two choanae (ch). Note the medial surface of the left dentary (ld) and the hyoid apparatus (hy), adjacent to the ventral margin of the mandible. (C) Detail of the posterior area of the palate (acid-prepared counterslab) in dorsal view showing the pterygoid (pt), the ectopterygoid (ec), and the right maxilla (rm). Note the robustness of right mandibular ramus (in lateral view) and its thin, edentulous dorsal edge (arrow). ch, choanae; cq, mandibular condyle of the quadrate; ec, ectopterygoid; hy, hyoid apparatus; j, jugal; lbd, lingual bulge of the dentary; ld, left dentary; lft, lower temporal fenestra; po, postorbital; pt, pterygoid; q, quadrate; rd, right dentary; rm, right maxilla; sq, squamosal; v, vomer. Scale bars: 10 mm.
doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0038900.g003
thumbnailFigure 4. Lower jaw of Europejara olcadesorum gen. et sp. nov.
(A) Close-up of the symphyseal area (acid-prepared counterslab) in right lateral view showing the typical step-like dorsal margin of the dentary in tapejarines (arrow). Note the strong lateral compression of the mandible and the trabecular structure of the sagittal crest of the dentary (scd). (B) Close-up of the best preserved margin of the dentary crest (main slab). Note the concave posterior border (arrow) giving the peculiar recurved aspect of the dentary crest of Europejara. scd, sagittal crest of the dentary. Scale bars: 10 mm.
doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0038900.g004

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