Read the Beforeitsnews.com story here. Advertise at Before It's News here.

By David Peters
Contributor profile | More stories

Story Views
Now:
Last hour:
Last 24 hours:
Total:

New early gnathosaurid rostrum described: Spathognathus

Saturday, June 7, 2025 18:33

% of readers think this story is Fact. Add your two cents.

Fernandes et al 2025 wrote:
“The Late Kimmeridgian locality of Brunn (near Regensburg, Germany) represents the oldest locality of the Solnhofen complex (“Solnhofen Archipelago” in recent literature), with only one pterosaur having been described from this locality to date. Here, a second pterosaur taxon from within this locality and a new gnathosaur is introduced, Spathagnathus roeperi gen. et sp. nov., whose novel tooth and dental enamel features add to the known dental diversity for the group. The new taxon represents the oldest occurrence of a gnathosaurine and contributes to the paleoenvironmental stratigraphic range for the Gnathosaurinae within the overall fossil assemblage of the Solnhofen Archipelago.”

Figure 1. Angustinaripterus as a transitional taxon between Dorygnathus and Gnathosaurus. ” data-image-caption=”

Figure 1. Angustinaripterus as a transitional taxon between Dorygnathus and Gnathosaurus. Seems pretty obvious. Phylogenetic analysis confirms.

” data-medium-file=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/angustinaripterus-transition588.jpg?w=300″ data-large-file=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/angustinaripterus-transition588.jpg?w=584″ class=”size-full wp-image-14497″ src=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/angustinaripterus-transition588.jpg” alt=”Figure 1. Angustinaripterus as a transitional taxon between Dorygnathus and Gnathosaurus.” width=”584″ height=”546″ srcset=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/angustinaripterus-transition588.jpg?w=584&h=546 584w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/angustinaripterus-transition588.jpg?w=150&h=140 150w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/angustinaripterus-transition588.jpg?w=300&h=281 300w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/angustinaripterus-transition588.jpg 588w” sizes=”(max-width: 584px) 100vw, 584px” />

Figure 1. Angustinaripterus as a transitional taxon between Dorygnathus and Gnathosaurus. Seems pretty obvious. Phylogenetic analysis confirms. From 2014.

Good to see,
but like every published pterosaur cladogram from Academia this one suffers from taxon exclusion. Ctenochasmatids got their long teeth from dorygnathid ancestors. (Fig 1. Makes sense!) But the authors deleted non-pterodactyloids from the document – not realizing that the pterodactyloid grade appears 4x by convergence when pertinent taxa are included.

Don’t exclude taxa!
Add taxa and you’ll come to the same conclusion as the LPT.

Figure 2. The bone bits of Kryptodrakon placed on the bauplan of the giant dorygnathid, Sericipeterus, also from the Shishugou Formation. There’s a good match here. ” data-image-caption=”

Figure 2. The bone bits of Kryptodrakon placed on the bauplan of the giant dorygnathid, Sericipeterus, also from the Shishugou Formation. There’s a good match here.

” data-medium-file=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/kryptodrakon-recon.jpg?w=251″ data-large-file=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/kryptodrakon-recon.jpg?w=584″ class=”size-full wp-image-15773″ src=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/kryptodrakon-recon.jpg” alt=”Figure 2. The bone bits of Kryptodrakon placed on the bauplan of the giant dorygnathid, Sericipeterus, also from the Shishugou Formation. There’s a good match here.” width=”584″ height=”699″ srcset=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/kryptodrakon-recon.jpg?w=584&h=699 584w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/kryptodrakon-recon.jpg?w=125&h=150 125w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/kryptodrakon-recon.jpg?w=251&h=300 251w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/kryptodrakon-recon.jpg?w=768&h=919 768w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/kryptodrakon-recon.jpg 800w” sizes=”(max-width: 584px) 100vw, 584px” />

Figure 2. The bone bits of Kryptodrakon placed on the bauplan of the giant dorygnathid, Sericipeterus, also from the Shishugou Formation. There’s a good match here.

BTW
the bits and pieces that Andres et al 2014 used to create Kryptodrakon (the outgroup in the Spathognathus 2025 paper (Fig 2)) are identical to a skinny dorygnathid from the same formation: Sericipterus. Details here: https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/…/new-basal…/

Uncited Peters 2007 wrote:
“Higher dorygnathoids divide into the Dorygnathidae and a clade with Sordes at its base. In the former two distinct Dorygnathus specimens are basal to Ctenochasma and kin on one branch and to Quetzalcoatlus and kin (formerly considered azhdarchids) on the other.”

Angustinatripterus (Fig 1) is also not mentioned in the Fernandes et al text. This is obviously a pertinent taxon bridging dorygnathids to ctenochasmatids.

Several taxa are listed in the Fernandes et al ‘Ctenochasmatidae’
that nest in various parts of the Large Pterosaur Tree (LPT, 264 taxa). So the cladogram is an unforced error due to the authors’ decision to omit pertinent taxa = cherry-picking.

Try not to do that. You will get caught. Worse yet, you’ll ruin your otherwise perfect submission.

References
Fernandes AE, Tischlinger H, Rothgaenger M and Rauhut OWM 2025. A new species and the earliest occurrence of the Gnathosaurinae (Pterosauria) from the Late Kimmeridgian of Brunn, Germany. PalZ (2025). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12542-025-00725-0

Peters D 2007. The origin and radiation of the Pterosauria. Flugsaurier. The Wellnhofer Pterosaur Meeting, Munich 27

Source: https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/2025/06/08/new-early-gnathosaurid-rostrum-described-spathognathus/

Before It’s News® is a community of individuals who report on what’s going on around them, from all around the world.

Anyone can join.
Anyone can contribute.
Anyone can become informed about their world.

"United We Stand" Click Here To Create Your Personal Citizen Journalist Account Today, Be Sure To Invite Your Friends.

Before It’s News® is a community of individuals who report on what’s going on around them, from all around the world. Anyone can join. Anyone can contribute. Anyone can become informed about their world. "United We Stand" Click Here To Create Your Personal Citizen Journalist Account Today, Be Sure To Invite Your Friends.

LION'S MANE PRODUCT

Try Our Lion’s Mane WHOLE MIND Nootropic Blend 60 Capsules

Mushrooms are having a moment. One fabulous fungus in particular, lion’s mane, may help improve memory, depression and anxiety symptoms. They are also an excellent source of nutrients that show promise as a therapy for dementia, and other neurodegenerative diseases. If you’re living with anxiety or depression, you may be curious about all the therapy options out there — including the natural ones.Our Lion’s Mane WHOLE MIND Nootropic Blend has been formulated to utilize the potency of Lion’s mane but also include the benefits of four other Highly Beneficial Mushrooms. Synergistically, they work together to Build your health through improving cognitive function and immunity regardless of your age. Our Nootropic not only improves your Cognitive Function and Activates your Immune System, but it benefits growth of Essential Gut Flora, further enhancing your Vitality.

Our Formula includes: Lion’s Mane Mushrooms which Increase Brain Power through nerve growth, lessen anxiety, reduce depression, and improve concentration. Its an excellent adaptogen, promotes sleep and improves immunity. Shiitake Mushrooms which Fight cancer cells and infectious disease, boost the immune system, promotes brain function, and serves as a source of B vitamins. Maitake Mushrooms which regulate blood sugar levels of diabetics, reduce hypertension and boosts the immune system. Reishi Mushrooms which Fight inflammation, liver disease, fatigue, tumor growth and cancer. They Improve skin disorders and soothes digestive problems, stomach ulcers and leaky gut syndrome. Chaga Mushrooms which have anti-aging effects, boost immune function, improve stamina and athletic performance, even act as a natural aphrodisiac, fighting diabetes and improving liver function. Try Our Lion’s Mane WHOLE MIND Nootropic Blend 60 Capsules Today. Be 100% Satisfied or Receive a Full Money Back Guarantee. Order Yours Today by Following This Link.

Comments

Visits:	1,701,915,137
Stories:	8,433,416