Dsungaripterus
Early Cretaceous pterosaur with upcurved jaws for crushing shellfish.
Dsungaripterus belongs to a group of pterosaurs called dsungaripterids. It lived during the Early Cretaceous, and its remains have been found in China, with some evidence pointing to South Korea as well. The fossils come from the Wuerho Pterosaur Fauna, which is part of the larger Tugulu Group. This group includes the Lianmuqin and Shengjinkou Formations in the Junggar Basin. The exact age of these rock layers is not fully pinned down, but at least some of the pterosaur-bearing deposits appear to date to the middle Valanginian.
The species *Dsungaripterus weii* had a wingspan of about 3 to 3.5 meters. Like many of its relatives, it had a sturdy skeleton with thick bone walls and a stout build, which suggests it spent a lot of time on the ground. How it flew is not completely understood, but it likely involved a lot of flapping and abrupt landings. Its skull was more than 46 centimeters long, and a low bony crest ran from the base of the skull to about halfway down the beak. The head and neck together measured nearly a meter. The most striking feature is its long, narrow, upward-curving jaws with a pointed tip. The front part of the jaws had no teeth, which may have helped it pry prey from cracks in rocks or from sandy, muddy environments. The back of the jaw held flat, knobby teeth that were good for crushing the armor of shellfish or other hard items. Because of this, dsungaripterids are often thought to have been durophagous—eating hard-shelled animals—and possibly also fish. Additionally, *Dsungaripterus* had a palate similar to that of azhdarchoids.
The genus was first described in 1964 by Yang Zhongjian. The name combines a reference to the Junggar Basin with the Greek word for wing, *pteron*. The type species, *Dsungaripterus weii*, honors paleontologist C.M. Wei. The holotype, a partial skull and skeleton labeled IVPP V-2776, came from the Lianmuqin Formation. In 1973, more material—including nearly complete skulls—was found in the Shengjinkou Formation. In 1980, Peter Galton tried to rename *Pterodactylus brancai* (from the Tendaguru Formation) as *Dsungaripterus brancai*, but this idea is now generally rejected. In 1982, Natasha Bakhurina named a new species, *Dsungaripterus parvus*, based on a smaller skeleton from Mongolia. That name was later changed to *Phobetor* (which was already taken), and by 2009 it was considered the same as *Noripterus*. A wing finger bone from a dsungaripterid was reported in 2002 from South Korea’s Hasandong Formation, and in 2015 and 2018 it was identified as possibly *Dsungaripterus* cf. *D. weii*.
Yang originally placed *Dsungaripterus* in the family Dsungaripteridae. A 2014 phylogenetic analysis by Andres and colleagues placed it within the clade Dsungaripteromorpha (a subgroup of Azhdarchoidea), specifically in Dsungaripteridae, as the sister taxon to *Domeykodactylus*. A 2019 study by Kellner and colleagues found a different arrangement, placing *Dsungaripterus* outside Azhdarchoidea, within the larger group Tapejaroidea, as the sister taxon to *Noripterus*.
- field
- Paleontology
- known_for
- Durophagous pterosaur with upcurved jaws and crushing teeth
- type_species
- Dsungaripterus weii
- wingspan
- 3–3.5 meters (9.8–11.5 ft)
- skull_length
- over 46 centimeters (18 in)
Lore & Background
Dsungaripterus weii had a wingspan of 3–3.5 meters. Its skeleton was notably robust, with thick bone walls and stout bodily proportions, which suggests it spent much of its time on the ground. The flight style of this pterosaur remains uncertain, but it likely involved frequent, vigorous flapping and abrupt landings. The skull, measuring over half a meter in length, featured a low bony crest that extended from the base of the skull to about the midpoint of the beak. The combined length of the head and neck reached nearly one meter. The most distinctive feature of Dsungaripterus was its long, narrow, upward-curving jaws ending in a pointed tip. The front portion of the jaws lacked teeth, an adaptation probably used to extract prey from crevices in rocks or from the sandy, muddy inland environments it inhabited. Farther back in the jaw, it possessed flat, knobbly teeth well suited for crushing the hard shells of shellfish or other tough objects. This dental arrangement indicates that Dsungaripterus was durophagous, likely also feeding on fish. Additionally, its palate structure resembled that of azhdarchoid pterosaurs. Fossils have been recovered from the Wuerho Pterosaur Fauna of the Junggar Basin in China, with additional material possibly from South Korea. The genus was first described in 1964, with the type species named in honor of paleontologist C.M. Wei.
Reader's Guide
Dsungaripterus is a well-known example of a durophagous pterosaur, adapted to crushing hard-shelled prey such as shellfish. Its long, upcurved, toothless front jaws were likely used to extract prey from cracks in rocks or muddy environments, while its back teeth were suited for crushing armor. The skull, over 46 cm long, bore a low bone crest running from the base of the skull to halfway along the beak, and the head and neck together reached nearly 1 m in length. With a wingspan of 3 to 3.5 m, it had a robust skeleton with thick bone walls and stout proportions, suggesting a mostly terrestrial lifestyle. Its flight style is unclear but probably involved abrupt landings and extensive flapping. The palate resembled that of azhdarchoids. Fossils come from the Wuerho Pterosaur Fauna of the Tugulu Group in China’s Junggar Basin, with additional material possibly from South Korea. The age of these deposits is uncertain, with data suggesting at least some date to the middle Valanginian, but upper and lower bounds remain unclear. The type species, *Dsungaripterus weii*, was named in 1964 by Yang Zhongjian, honoring paleontologist C.M. Wei. The holotype is a partial skull and skeleton from the Lianmuqin Formation. Later finds from the Shengjinkou Formation include almost complete skulls. A species once named *Dsungaripterus parvus* from Mongolia was later reassigned to *Noripterus*. A wing finger phalanx from South Korea has been tentatively identified as *Dsungaripterus? cf. D. weii*. Phylogenetic analyses have placed it within Dsungaripteridae, either as sister to *Domeykodactylus* within Azhdarchoidea, or as sister to *Noripterus* outside that group.
Did You Know?
- Dsungaripterus had no teeth in the front part of its jaws, which were probably used to remove prey from cracks in rocks or sandy, muddy environments.
- The holotype of Dsungaripterus weii is a partial skull and skeleton from the Lianmuqin Formation.
- The species Dsungaripterus parvus was later concluded to be identical to Noripterus.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Dsungaripterus?
Dsungaripterus is a genus of dsungaripterid pterosaur from the Early Cretaceous, recognized for its strikingly upcurved jaws and specialized crushing teeth. The type species is D. weii.
What made Dsungaripterus's jaws unique?
Its jaws were long, narrow, and curved upward, tapering to a sharp point at the tip. At the rear of the mouth sat broad, knobbly teeth built to grind and crack hard materials rather than slice through flesh.
What did Dsungaripterus eat?
It was a durophagous predator, feeding on hard-shelled prey such as shellfish. The flat, robust teeth at the back of its jaw functioned like a built-in crushing mechanism for breaking through tough exoskeletons.
Where and when did Dsungaripterus live?
It inhabited what is now northern China and possibly parts of South Korea during the Early Cretaceous. Its fossils come from the Lianmuqin and Shengjinkou Formations within the Junggar Basin.
How large was Dsungaripterus?
The animal spanned roughly three to three and a half meters (about 10 to 11.5 feet) from wingtip to wingtip. Its skull stretched to over 46 centimeters, or nearly 18 inches, in length.
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