Abstract
A pterosaur ulnar specimen (NZMS CD 467) from the Mangahouanga Stream of New Zealand’s North Island has been first described by Wiffen et al 1988. Assumed to belong to a “Santanadactylus-like” pterosaur, this taxon has not since been extensively described, with only a few tentative claims that it represents an azhdarchid. Here, I re-examine the specimen and compare it to other pterodactyloid taxa, noting peculiar features such as its plug-like (obdurate) ulnar end. Christened Parirau ataroa, this taxon is found to be a lonchodectid, which alongside the North American Navajodactylus boerei extends this clade into the world’s youngest pterosaur faunas.
Copyright
The copyright holder for this preprint is the author/funder, who has granted bioRxiv a license to display the preprint in perpetuity. It is made available under a CC-BY 4.0 International license.
Posted December 20, 2019.
