A new toothless pterosaur (Pterodactyloidea) from Southern Brazil with insights into the paleoecology of a Cretaceous desert

Abstract: The first pterosaur bone bed from Brazil was reported in 2014 at the outskirts of the town Cruzeiro do Oeste, Paraná State, in the Southern region of the country. Here named 'cemitério dos pterossauros' site, these outcrops were referred to the Goio-Erê Formation (Turonian-Campanian) of the Caiuá Group (Bauru Basin) and revealed the presence of hundreds of isolated or partially articulated elements of the tapejarine pterosaur Caiuajara and fewer amounts of a theropod dinosaur. Here we present a new tapejaromorph flying reptile from this site, Keresdrakon vilsoni gen. et sp. nov., which shows a unique blunt ridge on the dorsal surface of the posterior end of the dentary. Morphological and osteohistological features indicate that all recovered individuals represent late juveniles or sub-adults. This site shows the first direct evidence of sympatry in Pterosauria. The two distinct flying reptiles coexisted with a theropod dinosaur, providing a rare glimpse of a paleobiological community from a Cretaceous desert.

Key words
Paleoecology; Pterosauria; Pterodactyloidea; Keresdrakon vilsoni; Paraná; Cretaceous

Authorship

ALEXANDER W.A. KELLNER

Laboratory of Systematics and Taphonomy of Fossil Vertebrates, Departamento de Geologia e Paleontologia, Museu Nacional/Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Quinta da Boa Vista, s/n, São Cristóvão, 20940-040 Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil Universidade Federal do Rio de JaneiroBrazilRio de Janeiro, RJ, BrazilLaboratory of Systematics and Taphonomy of Fossil Vertebrates, Departamento de Geologia e Paleontologia, Museu Nacional/Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Quinta da Boa Vista, s/n, São Cristóvão, 20940-040 Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil

http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7174-9447

LUIZ C. WEINSCHÜTZ

CENPALEO – Centro Paleontológico da Universidade do Contestado, Universidade do Contestado, Jardim do Moinho, 89306-076 Mafra, SC, Brazil Universidade do ContestadoBrazilMafra, SC, BrazilCENPALEO – Centro Paleontológico da Universidade do Contestado, Universidade do Contestado, Jardim do Moinho, 89306-076 Mafra, SC, Brazil

BORJA HOLGADO

Institut Català de Paleontologia 'Miquel Crusafont' (ICP), C/ de les Columnes, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, E-08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain Universitat Autònoma de BarcelonaSpainBarcelona, Catalonia, SpainInstitut Català de Paleontologia 'Miquel Crusafont' (ICP), C/ de les Columnes, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, E-08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain

RENAN A.M. BANTIM

Laboratório de Paleontologia, Universidade Regional do Cariri (URCA), Rua Coronel Antônio Luiz, 1161, 63195-000 Crato, CE, Brazil Universidade Regional do CaririBrazilCrato, CE, BrazilLaboratório de Paleontologia, Universidade Regional do Cariri (URCA), Rua Coronel Antônio Luiz, 1161, 63195-000 Crato, CE, Brazil

JULIANA M. SAYÃO

Laboratório de Paleobiologia e Microestruturas, Centro Acadêmico de Vitória, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Rua do Alto Reservatório, s/n, Bela Vista, 55608-680 Vitória do Santo Antão, PE, Brazil Universidade Federal de PernambucoBrazilVitória do Santo Antão, PE, BrazilLaboratório de Paleobiologia e Microestruturas, Centro Acadêmico de Vitória, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Rua do Alto Reservatório, s/n, Bela Vista, 55608-680 Vitória do Santo Antão, PE, Brazil

Correspondence to: Alexander W.A. Kellner E-mail: kellner@mn.ufrj.br ORCid: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7174-9447

* Contribution to the centenary of the Brazilian Academy of Sciences.

AUTHOR CONTRIBUTIONS

AWAK and LCW conceived and designed the study and performed fieldwork that resulted in the collection of the material housed in CENPALEO and in Cruzeiro do Oeste; AWAK, BH and JMS wrote the main manuscript; LCW conducted the geological study; BH and AWAK preformed the phylogenetic analysis; RAMB and JMS did the osteohistological analysis. All authors contributed and reviewed the manuscript.

SCIMAGO INSTITUTIONS RANKINGS

Figures | Tables

Figures (17)
Tables (3)

skull	278*mm
mandible	361* mm
cervical vertebra, centrum	52 mm
sternum, sternal plate	82 mm
sternum, cristospine	36 mm, 17* mm
scapula (right)	146* mm
femur (left)	189* mm

skull, rostral end	CP.V 2068	197* (length)
lower jaw, mandibular symphsis	CP.V 2070	183* (length)
mid-cervical vertebra, centrum	CP.V 2445	56 (length)
scapula (right)	CP.V 2004	163 (length)
coracoid (left)	CP.V 2083	109** (length)
humerus (right)	CP.V 1011	173 (length)
ulna (right)	CP.V 2073	224 (length)
ulna (left)	CP.V 2074	223 (length)
ulna (right)	CP.V 2077	227 (length)
Radius	CP.V 2251	196 (length)
Radius	CP.V 2247	213 (length)
1st wing phalanx (right)	CP.V 2242	228* (length), 36*** (width)
1st wing phalanx (left)	CP.V 2248	367 (length), 37*** (width)
1st wing phalanx (right)	CP.V 2373	242* (length), 39*** (width)

femur	CP.V 2245	83* (length), 93** (length)
tibia	CP.V 2246	154* (length)
1st wing phalanx	CP.V 5797	322* (length) , 55*** (width)
mid-cervical vertebra, centrum	CP.V 2398	38 (length)