부산대학교 도서관

Herein, we describe the first pterosaur material from the Lower Cretaceous of Victoria and the geologically oldest pterosaur material from Australia. The isolated material comprises a partial synsacrum and a left metacarpal IV from the lower Albian portion of the Eumeralla Formation at Dinosaur Cove, Cape Otway, Victoria. The vestiges of a supraneural plate in the synsacrum precludes assignment to the Azhdarchidae. Moreover, presence of a supraneural plate indicates that the synsacrum likely belongs to individual late in ontogeny, perhaps attaining osteological maturity. The synsacrum does not preserve any diagnostic features, and is regarded here as an indeterminate member of either the Archaeopterodactyloidea or Pteranodontia. Similarly, the metacarpal IV cannot be identified more precisely than Pterosauria indet. Positive identification of the fourth metacarpal is supported by the presence of a ginglymoid distal articular surface and proximodistal length. The metacarpal IV is distinct from others previously reported from Australia, in that it is substantially smaller; it is therefore interpreted to derive from a juvenile specimen. Despite the isolated nature of these remains, they extend the temporal and geographic range of pterosaurs in Australia, and in tandem with remains described elsewhere, indicate that the Pterosauria prevailed and potentially reproduced at high latitudes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]