Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

Caelestiventus hanseni gen. et sp. nov. extends the desert-dwelling pterosaur record back 65 million years

Nature Ecology & Evolution volume 2, pages 1386–1392 (2018)Cite this article

Subjects

Abstract

Pterosaurs are the oldest known powered flying vertebrates. Originating in the Late Triassic, they thrived to the end of the Cretaceous. Triassic pterosaurs are extraordinarily rare and all but one specimen come from marine deposits in the Alps. A new comparatively large (wing span >150 cm) pterosaur, Caelestiventus hanseni gen. et sp. nov., from Upper Triassic desert deposits of western North America preserves delicate structural and pneumatic details not previously known in early pterosaurs, and allows a reinterpretation of crushed Triassic specimens. It shows that the earliest pterosaurs were geographically widely distributed and ecologically diverse, even living in harsh desert environments. It is the only record of desert-dwelling non-pterodactyloid pterosaurs and predates all known desert pterosaurs by more than 65 Myr. A phylogenetic analysis shows it is closely allied with Dimorphodon macronyx from the Early Jurassic of Britain.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Rent or buy this article

Prices vary by article type

from$1.95

to$39.95

Learn more

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Fig. 1: Locality map.
Fig. 2: Stratigraphy and depositional environments of the Saints & Sinners Quarry.
Fig. 3: C. hanseni gen. et sp. nov., a Triassic dimorphodontid from the Nugget Sandstone near Vernal, Utah.
Fig. 4: Reconstructions of C. hanseni and D. macronyx.
Fig. 5: Phylogenetic relationships of C. hanseni gen. et sp. nov.

References

  1. Wellnhofer, P. Pterosauria. Handbuch der Paläoherpetologie Vol. 19 (Gustav Fischer, Stuttgart, 1978).

  2. Kellner, A. W. A. Remarks on pterosaur taphonomy and paleoecology. Acta Geol. Leopold. 17, 175–189 (1994).

    Google Scholar 

  3. Dalla Vecchia, F. M. in Anatomy, Phylogeny and Palaeobiology of Early Archosaurs and Their Kin: Triassic Pterosaurs (eds Nesbitt, S. J., Desojo, J. B. & Irmis, R. B.) 119−155 (Geological Society of London, London, 2013).

  4. Dalla Vecchia, F. M. Gli Pterosauri Triassici (Museo Friulano di Storia Naturale, Udine, 2014).

  5. Andres, B. The earliest pterosaurs. J. Vertebr. Paleontol. 26, 37A (2006).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Andres, B. & Myers, T. S. Lone star pterosaurs. Earth Env. Sci. Trans. R. Soc. Edinb. 103, 1–16 (2013).

    Google Scholar 

  7. Hahn, G., Lepage, J. C. & Wouters, G. Cynodontier-zähne aus der Ober-Trias von Medernach. Bull. Soc. Belge. Geol. 93, 357–373 (1984).

    Google Scholar 

  8. Fröbisch, N. B. & Fröbisch, J. A new basal pterosaur genus from the Upper Triassic of Northern Calcareous Alps of Switzerland. Palaeontology 49, 1081–1090 (2006).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Hintze, L. F. & Kowallis, B. J. Geologic History of Utah: A Field Guide to Utah’s Rocks (Brigham Young Univ., Provo, 2009).

  10. Sprinkel, D. A., Kowallis, B. J. & Jensen, P. H. in Sevier Thrust Belt—Northern and Central Utah and Adjacent Areas (eds Sprinkel, D. A., Yonkee, W. A. & Chidsey, T. C. Jr) 131–149 (Utah Geological Association, Salt Lake City, 2011).

  11. Britt, B. B., Chure, D. J., Engelmann, G. F. & Shumway, J. D. Rise of the Erg: Paleontology and Paleoenvironments of the Triassic–Jurassic Transition in Northeastern Utah (Utah Geological Association, Salt Lake City, 2016).

  12. Irmis, R. B., Chure, D. J., Engelmann, G. F., Wiersma, J. P. & Lindström, S. in The Uinta Basin and Uinta Mountains (eds Vanden Berg, M. D., Ressetar, R. & Birgenheier, L. P.) 13–48 (Utah Geological Association, Salt Lake City, 2015).

  13. Renesto, S., Spielmann, J. A., Lucas, S. G. & Tarditi Spagnoli, G. The Taxonomy and Paleobiology of the Late Triassic (Carnian–Norian: Adamanian–Apachean) Drepanosaurs (Diapsida: Archosauromorpha: Drepanosauromorpha) (New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science, Albuquerque, 2010).

  14. Cisneros, J. C. Phylogenetic relationships of procolophonid parareptiles with remarks on their geological record. J. Syst. Palaeontol. 6, 345–366 (2008).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Padian, K. Osteology and functional morphology of Dimorphodon macronyx (Buckland) (Pterosauria: Rhamphorhynchoidea) based on new material in the Yale Peabody Museum. Postilla 189, 1–43 (1983).

    Google Scholar 

  16. Sangster, S. The Anatomy, Functional Morphology and Systematics of Dimorphodon macronyx (Diapsida: Pterosauria). PhD thesis, Univ. Cambridge (2003).

  17. O’Sullivan, M. & Martill, D. M. The taxonomy and systematics of Parapsicephalus purdoni (Reptilia: Pterosauria) from the Lower Jurassic Whitby Mudstone Formation, Whitby, U.K. Hist. Biol. 29, 1009–1018 (2017).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Codorniú, L., Paulina-Carabajal, A., Pol, D., Unwin, D. & Rauhut, O. W. M. A Jurassic pterosaur from Patagonia and the origin of the pterodactyloid neurocranium. PeerJ 4, e2311 (2016).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Hone, D. W. E., Habib, M. B. & Lamanna, M. C. An annotated and illustrated catalogue of Solnhofen (Upper Jurassic, Germany) pterosaur specimens at Carnegie Museum of Natural History. Ann. Carne. Mus. 82, 165–191 (2013).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Gasparini, Z., Fernández, M. & de la Fuente, M. A new pterosaur from the Jurassic of Cuba. Palaeontology 47, 919–927 (2004).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Padian, K. The Early Jurassic pterosaur Dorygnathus banthensis (Theodori, 1830). Spec. Pap. Palaeontol. 80, 1–64 (2008).

    Google Scholar 

  22. Padian, K. The Early Jurassic pterosaur Campylognathoides Strand, 1928. Spec. Pap. Palaeontol. 80, 65–107 (2008).

    Google Scholar 

  23. Witmer, L. M., Chatterjee, S., Franzosa, J. & Rowe, T. Neuroanatomy of flying reptiles and implications for flight, posture and behaviour. Nature 425, 950–953 (2003).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Bennett, S. C. An external mandibular fenestra and other archosauriform characters in basal pterosaurs re-examined. Hist. Biol. 27, 796–814 (2015).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. Stecher, R. A new Triassic pterosaur from Switzerland (Central Australpine, Grisons), Raeticodactylus filisurensis gen. et sp. nov. Swiss J. Geosci. 101, 185–201 (2008).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. Bennett, S. C. New interpretation of the wings of the pterosaur Rhamphorhynchus muensteri based on the Zittel and Marsh specimens. J. Paleontol. 89, 845–869 (2016).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. Swofford, D. L. PAUP. Phylogenetic Analysis Using Parsimony (and Other Methods) (Sinauer Associates, Sunderland, 2002).

  28. Dalla Vecchia, F. M. Austriadactylus (Diapsida, Pterosauria) from the Norian (Upper Triassic) of northeastern Italy. Riv. Ital. Paleontol. Stratigr. 115, 291–304 (2009).

    Google Scholar 

  29. Clark, J. M., Montellano, M., Hopson, J. A., Hernandez, R. R. & Fastovsky, D. E. in In the Shadow of the Dinosaurs: Early Mesozoic Tetrapods (eds Fraser, N. C. & Sues, H.-D.) 295−302 (Cambridge Univ. Press, Cambridge, 1994).

  30. Clark, J. M., Hopson, J. A., Hernandez, R. R., Fastovsky, D. E. & Montellano, M. Foot posture in a primitive pterosaur. Nature 391, 886–889 (1998).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  31. Unwin, D. M. in Evolution and Palaeobiology of Pterosaurs (eds Buffetaut, E. & Mazin, J.-M.) 139–190 (Geological Society of London, London, 2003).

  32. Buckland, W. On the discovery of a new species of pterodactyle in the Lias at Lyme Regis. Trans. Geol. Soc. Lond. 2, 217–222 (1829).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  33. Nesbitt, S. J. & Hone, D. W. E. An external mandibular fenestra and other archosauriform character states in basal pterosaurs. Palaeodiversity 3, 225–233 (2010).

    Google Scholar 

  34. Unwin, D. M. New remains of the pterosaur Dimorphodon (Pterosauria: Rhamphorhynchoidea) and the terrestrial ability of early pterosaurs. Mod. Geol. 13, 57–68 (1998).

    Google Scholar 

  35. Dalla Vecchia, F. M. A wing phalanx of a large basal pterosaur (Diapsida, Pterosauria) from the Norian (Late Triassic) of NE Italy. Boll. Soc. Paleontol. Ital. 39, 229–234 (2000).

    Google Scholar 

  36. Frey, E. & Martill, D. M. Soft tissue preservation in a specimen of Pterodactylus kochi (Wagner) from the Upper Jurassic of Germany. Neues Jahrb. Geol. Paläontol. 210, 421–441 (1998).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  37. Frey, E., Tischlinger, H., Buchy, M. C. & Martill, D. M. in Evolution and in Palaeobiology of Pterosaurs (eds Buffetaut, E. & Mazin, J.-M.) 233–266 (Geological Society of London, London, 2003).

  38. Zweers, G. A., Berkhoudt, H. & Vanden Berge, J. C. in Advances in Comparative and Environmental Physiology Vol. 18 (eds Bels V. L., Chardon M. & Vandewalle P.) 242−279 (Springer, Berlin & Heidelberg, 1994).

  39. Diamond, A. W. Notes on the breeding biology and behavior of the magnificent frigatebird. Condor 75, 200–209 (1973).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  40. Musters, C. J. M. Taxonomy of the genus Draco L. (Agamidae, Lacertilia, Reptilia). Zool. Verh. 199, 1–126 (1983).

    Google Scholar 

  41. Manzig, P. C. et al. Discovery of a rare pterosaur bone bed in a Cretaceous desert with insights on ontogeny and behavior of flying reptiles. PLoS ONE 9, e100005 (2014).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  42. Charrier, R., Pinto, L. & Rodríguez, M. P. in The Geology of Chile (eds Moreno, T. & Gibbon, W.) 21−114 (Geological Society of London, London, 2007).

  43. Bell, C. M. & Padian, K. Pterosaur fossils from the Cretaceous of Chile: evidence for a pterosaur colony on an inland desert plain. Geol. Mag. 132, 31–38 (1995).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  44. Martill, D. M., Frey, E., Bell, C. M. & Chong Diaz, G. Ctenochasmatid pterosaurs from Early Cretaceous deposits in Chile. Cretac. Res. 27, 603–610 (2006).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  45. Martill, D. M., Vidovic, S. U., Howells, C. & Nudds, J. R. The oldest Jurassic dinosaur: a basal neotheropod from the Hettangian of Great Britain. PLoS ONE 11, e0154352 (2016).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  46. Weedon, G. P., Jenkyns, H. C. & Page, K. N. Combined sea-level and climate controls on limestone formation, hiatuses and ammonite preservation in the Blue Lias Formation, South Britain (uppermost Triassic–Lower Jurassic). Geol. Mag. 155, 1117–1149 (2018).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  47. Brazeau, M. D. Problematic character coding methods in morphology and their effects. Biol. J. Linn. Soc. 104, 489–498 (2011).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  48. Kellner, A. W. A. Comments on Triassic pterosaurs with discussion about ontogeny and description of new taxa. An. Acad. Bras. Ciênc 87, 669–689 (2015).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  49. Goloboff, P. & Catalano, S. TNT version 1.5, including a full implementation of phylogenetic morphometrics. Cladistics 32, 221–238 (2016).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  50. Boucot, J., Xu, C. & Scotese, C. R. Phanerozoic Paleoclimate: An Atlas of Lithologic Indicators of Climate (Concepts in Sedimentology and Paleontology Vol. 11, Society for Sedimentary Geology, Tulsa, 2013).

Download references

Acknowledgements

R. L. Hansen (US BLM’s Vernal Field Office) facilitated access under BLM permit UT08-025E. Funding and other support was provided by the BYU Geological Sciences Department and Museum of Paleontology, Dinosaur National Monument (D.J.C.) and University of Nebraska at Omaha (G.F.E.). N. Fraser and J. Clark provided information on the procolophonid and ‘Dimorphodon’ weintraubi, respectively. Segmentation was performed by A. J. Matthews and M. Colbert. M. Gonzales-Whittaker skilfully assisted with illustrations. Manual preparation was performed by S. Meek and C. Thelin. Thanks to J. Wilson for recommendations that improved an early version of the manuscript.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Museum of Paleontology, Department of Geological Sciences, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, USA

    Brooks B. Britt & Rodney D. Scheetz

  2. Institut Català de Paleontologia Miquel Crusafont, Sabadell, Spain

    Fabio M. Dalla Vecchia

  3. Dinosaur National Monument, National Park Service, Jensen, UT, USA

    Daniel J. Chure

  4. Department of Geography and Geology, University of Nebraska at Omaha, Omaha, NE, USA

    George F. Engelmann

  5. Department of Biology and Monte L. Bean Life Science Museum, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, USA

    Michael F. Whiting

Authors
  1. Brooks B. Britt
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Fabio M. Dalla Vecchia
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Daniel J. Chure
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. George F. Engelmann
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Michael F. Whiting
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Rodney D. Scheetz
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Contributions

B.B.B., F.M.D.V., D.J.C. and G.F.E. designed the research project. B.B.B., F.M.D.V., D.J.C., G.F.E., R.D.S. and M.F.W. wrote the manuscript. B.B.B., D.J.C., G.F.E. and R.D.S. conducted the field work. F.M.D.V. coded the characters. F.M.D.V. and M.F.W. performed the phylogenetic analysis.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Brooks B. Britt.

Ethics declarations

Competing interests

The authors declare no competing interests.

Additional information

Publisher’s note: Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Supplementary information

Supplementary Information

Supplementary figures, tables, discussion and references

Reporting Summary

Supplementary Information 2

Pterosaur matrix for PAUP with all taxa included

Supplementary Information 3

Pterosaur data matrix for TNT converted from the PAUP matrix

Rights and permissions

Reprints and Permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Britt, B.B., Dalla Vecchia, F.M., Chure, D.J. et al. Caelestiventus hanseni gen. et sp. nov. extends the desert-dwelling pterosaur record back 65 million years. Nat Ecol Evol 2, 1386–1392 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-018-0627-y

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-018-0627-y

This article is cited by

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing