Researchers from the National Museum / UFRJ, Federal University of Santa Maria, Catalan Institute of Paleontology, Regional University of Cariri, Federal University of Pampa, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul and COPPE / UFRJ presents a review of the small reptile Faxinalipterusminimus, from the Triassic rocks (225 million years ago) in Rio Grande do Sul. Faxinalipterus was described more than a decade ago (2010), assigned to Pterosauria, a group that includes the first vertebrates to develop an active aircraft. The original fossil of Faxinalipterus is made up of bones from the postcranial skeleton and part of the skull (upper jaw with several teeth), found separately in two wild trips, conducted in 2002 and 2005, in the remains of Linha São Luiz, located in the municipality of Faxinal do Soturno. Thus, it was impossible to say with certainty that all the parts belonged to the same species and species. Despite this, it was thought that at that time all the bones were of one type, called Faxinalipterusminimus.
New study of Faxinalipterus
A new study of Faxinalipterus found that there are two distinct species, an independent jaw representing another animal. This is based on comparisons of new fossils found in the same area. The new material is made up of an imperfect skull, the maxilla of which exhibits the same features of the maxilla as Faxinalipterus. In addition, there are parts of the mandible, the scapula and some vertebrae. The faxinalipterus maxilla can therefore be included in the description of a new fossil, named Maeharybonapartei.
“There was always a lot of doubt that two specimens called Faxinalipterus represented the same species, and whether this was a flying reptile,” notes Alexander Kellner, a pterosaur expert currently directing the Museu Nacional / UFRJ. After examining the model shortly after its publication in 2010, he noticed that several bones could be misdiagnosed and a lack of diagnostic features of the pterosaur, including the absence of certain features in the humerus (forelimb bone), such as the large and speculative deltopectoral crest, is common -pterosaur. Borja Holgado, also a pterosaur specialist from the Catalan Institute of Paleontology and currently a researcher at the Regional University of Cariri analyzed this phenomenon and agreed with the original conclusions.
REPTILE
“Faxinalipterus-based materials are extremely fragile and incomplete. In addition, the bone fragments were covered with a rock matrix, which required detailed adjustments,” notes Cesar Schultz, of UFRGS and one of the authors of the 2010 work. and a new study recently published.The original repairs required a great deal of knowledge and were done at the National Museum. “Fortunately, we were able to photograph the entire sample in detail,” said Orlando Grillo, who oversaw the reproduction of each of the anatomical details of the Faxinalipterus bones.
It was with the help of a CT scanner that this mystery was revealed. “Computed tomography has become a widely used tool in paleontological studies” highlights Ricardo Lopes from COPPE/ UFRJ. “It is a non-destructive analysis that allows for the detection of anatomical details covered by the sedimentary rock where fossils are stored,” added Olga Araújoof early Triassic pterosaurs.However, maxilla tomography showed that the teeth were not as distinct as originally thought, as many teeth were lost during the process of bone formation.
Demonstrations of lessons and solutions
After these studies, there was still some doubt as to who, after all, Faxinalipterus. The solution came from the discovery of a new statue that had been collected in the same area where the Faxinalipterus statues came from. “Systemic compilation by CAPPA (Center for the Paleontological Research of the Fourth Colony), from UFSM, presents a series of new Rio Grande do Sul Triassic fossils” notes FlávioPretto.
“By the time we got to the research that the National Museum team was developing, it became clear that the maxilla, until then referred to Faxinalipterus, was very similar to what we were learning,” added Leonardo Kerber. “They were certainly not examples of pterosaur,” emphasizes Felipe Pinheiro, of UNIPAMPA, a researcher and expert on winged reptiles.
Using an anatomical site, the team found that Faxinalipterus would be closely associated with lagerpetids, a branch considered to be Pterosauria’s sister group in a very recent study. Together, lagerpetids and pterosaurs form a broad group called Pterosauromorpha. “These species, which are approximately 30 cm long in Faxinalipterus and 40 cm in Maehary, indicate the importance of continuing to collect fossils in this region.”
The name of this new species comes from Ma’ehary, an expression of the early Guarani-Kaiowa people, meaning “observer of the sky” refers to its place in the evolutionary line of reptiles, which are the oldest in the world. Pterosauromorpha, a group comprising of interesting pterosaurs. The name is an appropriate tribute to Argentina’s leading vertebrate researcher, José Fernando Bonaparte (1928-2020), who recently died, and has worked tirelessly with Brazilian paleontologists outside the Rio Grande do Sul, in the collection. Researchers are now looking for new findings that help to explain how the first species of this fascinating group of pterosaurs came to be.
Source Journal Reference:Alexander W.A. Kellner, Borja Holgado, Orlando Grillo, Flávio Augusto Pretto, Leonardo Kerber, Felipe Lima Pinheiro, Marina Bento Soares, Cesar Leandro Schultz, Ricardo Tadeu Lopes, Olga Araújo, Rodrigo Temp Müller. Reassessment of Faxinalipterusminimus, a purported Triassic pterosaur from southern Brazil with the description of a new taxon. PeerJ, 2022; 10: e13276 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.13276
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