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. 2010 May 26;5(5):e10875.
doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0010875.

A new pterosaur (Pterodactyloidea: Azhdarchidae) from the Upper Cretaceous of Morocco

Nizar Ibrahim  1 , David M Unwin, David M Martill, Lahssen Baidder, Samir Zouhri
Affiliations

A new pterosaur (Pterodactyloidea: Azhdarchidae) from the Upper Cretaceous of Morocco

Nizar Ibrahim et al. PLoS One. .

Abstract

The Kem Kem beds in South Eastern Morocco contain a rich early Upper (or possibly late Lower) Cretaceous vertebrate assemblage. Fragmentary remains, predominantly teeth and jaw tips, represent several kinds of pterosaur although only one species, the ornithocheirid Coloborhynchus moroccensis, has been named. Here, we describe a new azhdarchid pterosaur, Alanqa saharica nov. gen. nov. sp., based on an almost complete well preserved mandibular symphysis from Aferdou N'Chaft. We assign additional fragmentary jaw remains, some of which have been tentatively identified as azhdarchid and pteranodontid, to this new taxon which is distinguished from other azhdarchids by a remarkably straight, elongate, lance-shaped mandibular symphysis that bears a pronounced dorsal eminence near the posterior end of its dorsal (occlusal) surface. Most remains, including the holotype, represent individuals of approximately three to four meters in wingspan, but a fragment of a large cervical vertebra, that probably also belongs to A. saharica, suggests that wingspans of six meters were achieved in this species. The Kem Kem beds have yielded the most diverse pterosaur assemblage yet reported from Africa and provide the first clear evidence for the presence of azhdarchids in Gondwana at the start of the Late Cretaceous. This, the relatively large size achieved by Alanqa, and the additional evidence of variable jaw morphology in azhdarchids provided by this taxon, indicates a longer and more complex history for this clade than previously suspected.

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Conflict of interest statement

Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Pterosaur localities in the Kem Kem region of South Eastern Morocco.
A) Map of Africa and satellite map of the Hamada Kem Kem and Maider region showing principal pterosaur localities. Inset: location of Kem Kem in Morocco. B) Boumerade locality (30° 32 ′49.00″ N 4° 42′ 55.45″ E), which includes most of the lower unit of the Kem Kem beds and just over one third of the upper unit (Sereno et al. 1996). Fossils were collected from areas marked by arrows, consisting of a sandstone matrix in a ∼2 m thick horizon. C) Pterosaur jaw tip found at Boumerade, scale bar 2 cm. D) Typical red sandstone cross bedding, found at the Aferdou N'Chaft (30° 53′ 51.23″ N 3° 52′ 13.42″) locality for example. E) Surface collecting in the sandstone outcrops of the Gara Sbaa locality (30° 30′ 40.64″ N 4° 50 42.87″ E).
Figure 2
Figure 2. Holotype specimen (FSAC-KK 26) of Alanqa saharica nov gen. nov sp.
A) lateral view, F) dorsal view and G) ventral view. Cross sections B, C and D (not to scale) showing internal morphology of the three fragments. E) Details of the posterior end of the mandibular symphysis in dorsal view. Scale bar for A, F, G: 5 cm.
Figure 3
Figure 3. Line drawing of the mandibular symphysis of Alanqa saharica nov gen. nov sp. (FSAC-KK 26).
A) lateral view, B) dorsal view, C) ventral view, D) Cross sectional morphology. Abbreviations: f: foramina, ssh: symphyseal shelf, me: midline eminence. Scale bar: 5 cm.
Figure 4
Figure 4. Reconstructed jaws of Alanqa saharica compared to other azhdarchids.
A) Holotype specimen (mandibular symphysis) of Alanqa saharica nov gen. nov sp. (FSAC-KK 26) matched with one of the referred rostra, BSP 1993 IX 338. B) Skull outline of the azhdarchid Zhejiangopterus linhaiensis, modified from Unwin and Lü and Witton and Naish . C) Lower jaw of Quetzalcoalus sp., redrawn from Kellner and Langston, specimen TMM 42161-2 .
Figure 5
Figure 5. Posterior end of azhdarchid cervical vertebra (FSAC-KK 34).
A) dorsal, B) ventral and C) posterior view. D) missing parts reconstructed and redrawn using images and drawings in Ösi et al ( figures 4 and 5) and Buffetaut et al. ([59] figure 2). Scale bar: 5 cm.
Figure 6
Figure 6. Drawing of FSAC-KK 34.
A) dorsal, B) ventral and C posterior view. Abbreviations: co, condyle; pe, postexapophysis Scale bar: 5 cm.
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