Mirasaura grauvogeli: a new fenestrasaur close to Longisquama
Spiekman et al 2025 described
“Mirasaura grauvogeli, a small-sized diapsid from the Middle Triassic epoch (about 247 million years ago) with a distinctive crest formed by elongate integumentary appendages extending serially along its back, similar to those of the poorly understood Triassic reptile
Longisquama.”
Poorly understood perhaps because Peters 2000 and unpublished (ResarchGate.net) were not cited, in keeping with the curse of Chris Bennett, “You will not be published and if you are published you will not be cited.” Nothing new here. Academics wearing blinders.
The authors are not aware that the diapsid skull architecture evolved at least twice, once with Petrolacosaurus and again among the unrelated Lepidosauria in the large reptile tree (LRT, 2340 taxa).
Figure 1. Longisquama and Cosesaurus compared to the most complete specimen of Mirasaura after tracing elements using DGS colors.
” data-medium-file=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/longisquama-reconstruction588.jpg?w=300″ data-large-file=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/longisquama-reconstruction588.jpg?w=584″ class=”size-full wp-image-93801″ src=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/longisquama-reconstruction588.jpg” alt=”Figure 1. Longisquama and Cosesaurus compared to the most complete specimen of Mirasaura after tracing elements using DGS colors. ” width=”584″ height=”444″ srcset=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/longisquama-reconstruction588.jpg?w=584&h=444 584w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/longisquama-reconstruction588.jpg?w=150&h=114 150w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/longisquama-reconstruction588.jpg?w=300&h=228 300w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/longisquama-reconstruction588.jpg 588w” sizes=”(max-width: 584px) 100vw, 584px” />
Figure 1. Longisquama and Cosesaurus compared to the most complete specimen of Mirasaura after tracing elements using DGS colors.
The authors reported,
“Despite the previous controversy surrounding the systematic position of Longisquama, our re-examination of this taxon shows several features that also support its placement in Drepanosauromorpha, including the presence of a tapering snout and dome-like skull roof,
a distinctly slanted posterior skull margin and the absence of cervical ribs.”
Not much to go on, frankly, as the authors blatantly pull a Larry Martin (listing several traits while omitting pertinent taxa.
I wonder what ‘re-examination’ means since Longisquama (to my knowledge) has not left Moscow in several decades, since the traveling Russian Dinosaur Exhibition of the Late 1990s, when I viewed the specimen firsthand. Co-author, Sues, was also a co-author on a 2000 paper (Reisz and Sues 2000) describing only the dorsal appendages.
Figure 2. Mirasaura referred specimen in situ and traced using DGS colors then reconstructed.
” data-medium-file=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/referredmirasaura_insitu588.jpg?w=160″ data-large-file=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/referredmirasaura_insitu588.jpg?w=547″ class=”size-full wp-image-93803″ src=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/referredmirasaura_insitu588.jpg” alt=”Figure 2. Mirasaura referred specimen in situ and traced using DGS colors then reconstructed.” width=”584″ height=”1094″ srcset=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/referredmirasaura_insitu588.jpg?w=584&h=1094 584w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/referredmirasaura_insitu588.jpg?w=80&h=150 80w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/referredmirasaura_insitu588.jpg?w=160&h=300 160w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/referredmirasaura_insitu588.jpg 588w” sizes=”(max-width: 584px) 100vw, 584px” />
Figure 2. Mirasaura referred specimen in situ and traced using DGS colors then reconstructed. The fingers, toes, hind limb, pefvis, sternal complex and prepubis were overlooked by the authors. The hind limbs were not well preserved, likely because they were hollow, as in pterosaurs.
The authors nested Mirasaura with Longisquama
within the Drepanosauromorpha while omitting Cosesaurus, Oculudentavis, Sharovipteryx and the basalmost pterosaur Bergamodactylus (Fig 5). The authors thought including Erythrosuchus and Proganochelys were more important, so they cherry-picked these robust unrelated quadrupeds.
Once again, taxon exclusion ruins an otherwise wonderful new taxon description.
Figure 4. DGS tracing of the Mirasaura holotype with the best dorsal frill. Note the lack of overlap, as in Longisquama, Sphenodon and Iguana.
” data-medium-file=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/mirasaura-plumes588.gif?w=130″ data-large-file=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/mirasaura-plumes588.gif?w=443″ class=”size-full wp-image-93805″ src=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/mirasaura-plumes588.gif” alt=”Figure 4. DGS tracing of the Mirasaura holotype with the best dorsal frill. Note the lack of overlap, as in Longisquama, Sphenodon and Iguana. ” width=”584″ height=”1351″ srcset=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/mirasaura-plumes588.gif?w=584&h=1351 584w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/mirasaura-plumes588.gif?w=65&h=150 65w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/mirasaura-plumes588.gif?w=130&h=300 130w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/mirasaura-plumes588.gif 588w” sizes=”(max-width: 584px) 100vw, 584px” />
Figure 3. DGS tracing of the Mirasaura holotype with the best dorsal frill. Note the lack of overlap, as in Longisquama, Sphenodon and Iguana. Compare to the published freehand drawing in figure 4.
Mirasaura confirms
the Peters 2018 post-cranial tracing and reconstruction of Longisquama, with its long torso, large manus, elongated ilia framing five+ sacrals, sternal complex, prepubis and antorbital fenestra.
Figure 4. Published reconstruction of Mirasaura has too many dorsal plumes the wrong pectoral girdle, the wrong manus, the wrong hiind limb + pelvis and imagined chevrons.
” data-medium-file=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/mirsaura.recon_.orig588.jpg?w=300″ data-large-file=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/mirsaura.recon_.orig588.jpg?w=584″ class=”size-full wp-image-93808″ src=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/mirsaura.recon_.orig588.jpg” alt=”Figure 4. Published reconstruction of Mirasaura has too many dorsal plumes the wrong pectoral girdle, the wrong manus, the wrong hiind limb + pelvis and imagined chevrons. ” width=”584″ height=”513″ srcset=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/mirsaura.recon_.orig588.jpg?w=584&h=513 584w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/mirsaura.recon_.orig588.jpg?w=150&h=132 150w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/mirsaura.recon_.orig588.jpg?w=300&h=264 300w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/mirsaura.recon_.orig588.jpg 588w” sizes=”(max-width: 584px) 100vw, 584px” />
Figure 4. Published reconstruction of Mirasaura has too many dorsal plumes the wrong pectoral girdle, the wrong manus, the wrong hiind limb + pelvis and imagined chevrons. If Mirasaurua is not supposed to have cervical ribs, what are those ventral extensions?
Intent on force-fitting
Mirasaura into the Drepanosauromorpha, the authors added drepanosaur-like manus, hind limbs, chevrons and tail tip curl. Plus they overlapped and multiplied the dorsal plumes, providing reconstruction data that are not present in the fossils.
Figure 5. The skulls of Mirasaura, Longisquama, Oculudentavis to scale. Bergamodactylus, the basalmost pterosaur, is half size here.
” data-medium-file=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/mirasaura.skull588.jpg?w=124″ data-large-file=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/mirasaura.skull588.jpg?w=424″ class=”size-full wp-image-93811″ src=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/mirasaura.skull588.jpg” alt=”Figure 5. The skulls of Mirasaura, Longisquama, Oculudentavis to scale. Bergamodactylus, the basalmost pterosaur, is half size here. ” width=”584″ height=”1409″ srcset=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/mirasaura.skull588.jpg?w=584&h=1409 584w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/mirasaura.skull588.jpg?w=62&h=150 62w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/mirasaura.skull588.jpg?w=124&h=300 124w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/mirasaura.skull588.jpg 588w” sizes=”(max-width: 584px) 100vw, 584px” />
Figure 5. The skulls of Mirasaura, Longisquama, Oculudentavis to scale. Bergamodactylus, the basalmost pterosaur, is half size here.
Size-wise and morphologically
Mirasaura was closer to late-surviving Oculudentavis (Fig 5) and Late Triassic basalmost pterosaurs like Bergamodactylus. All of these taxa are closely related to Middle Triassic Longisquama in the LRT.
Figure 1. Click to enlarge. The complete fossil of Longisquama.
” data-medium-file=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/longisquama72-588.jpg?w=224″ data-large-file=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/longisquama72-588.jpg?w=584″ class=”size-full wp-image-1495″ src=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/longisquama72-588.jpg” alt=”The complete fossil of Longisquama.” width=”584″ height=”784″ srcset=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/longisquama72-588.jpg?w=584&h=784 584w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/longisquama72-588.jpg?w=112&h=150 112w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/longisquama72-588.jpg?w=224&h=300 224w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/longisquama72-588.jpg 588w” sizes=”(max-width: 584px) 100vw, 584px” />
Figure 6. Click to enlarge. The complete fossil of Longisquama.
The several specimens of Mirasaura
were collected by Lous Grauvogel during excavations between 1930 and 1978. We have not heard of these specimens before because they remained in a private collection until recently donated to the Staatliches Museum für Naturkunde in Stuttgart, Germany.
Figure 7. Flapping Longisquama with the acme of plume development in this clade.
” data-medium-file=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/longisquama-flapping1.gif?w=300″ data-large-file=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/longisquama-flapping1.gif?w=584″ class=”size-full wp-image-24911″ src=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/longisquama-flapping1.gif” alt=”Figure 7. Flapping Longisquama with the acme of plume development in this clade.” width=”584″ height=”444″ srcset=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/longisquama-flapping1.gif?w=584&h=444 584w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/longisquama-flapping1.gif?w=150&h=114 150w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/longisquama-flapping1.gif?w=300&h=228 300w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/longisquama-flapping1.gif 588w” sizes=”(max-width: 584px) 100vw, 584px” />
Figure 7. Flapping Longisquama with the acme of plume development in this clade.
This appears to be
a novel hypothesis of interrelationships enabled by simply adding taxa and using DGS to examine and reconstruct roadkill fossils.
References
Peters D 2000. A Redescription of Four Prolacertiform Genera and Implications for Pterosaur Phylogenesis. Rivista Italiana di Paleontologia e Stratigrafia 106 (3): 293–336.
Peters D 2018 unpublished. Cosesaurus aviceps, Sharovipteryx mirabilis and Longisquama insignis Reinterpreted. ResearchGate.net
Reisz RR and Sues H-D 2000. The ‘feathers’ of Longisquama. Nature 408, 428–428.
Spiekman SNF et al (12 co-authors) 2025. Triassic diapsid shows early diversification of skin apprendages in reptiles. Nature https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-025-09167-9
Publicity
Mirasaurua in sciencealert.com
Source: https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/2025/07/24/mirasaura-grauvogeli-a-new-fenestrasaur-close-to-longisquama/
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