SANTANADACTYLUS

Genus: Santanadactylus de Buisonjé, 1980

Etymology: "Santana finger"

Type species: S. brasilensis

Other Species: ?S. pricei, ?S. spixi

Diagnosis: See type species.

Classification: Ornithocheiroidea incertae sedis

---

Holotype: GIUA M. 4894 — Ankylosed glenoidal part of right scapula-coracoid, together with proximal part of right humerus ot the same individual. (de Buisonjé, 1980)

Referred Specimen: Paul Gigase Collection V-201 — Notarium. (Wellnhofer, Buffetaut & Gigase, 1983)
BSP 1987 I 65 — Right scapulocoracoid. (Wellnhofer, 1991)

Time: Aptian, Early Creataceous

Horizon: Lower Santana Formation

Location: Chapada do Araripe, Ceará, Brazil

Skull length: ?

Total length: ?

Wingspan: ?

Mass: ?

Diagnosis: Large sized pterodactyloid with ankylosed scapula-coracoid, the ankylosed area swolen anteriorly and possessing posteriorly a large, vertically placed longitudinal foramen in the here less bulbous ankylosed area. Original suture between scapula and coracoid, except in the glenoidal cavity, completely obliterated. Rather low acromion developed parallell to the exterior side of the scapula near the glenoidal cavity. The coracoid has an anterior process, sharply protuding from the shaft near the glenoidal cavity and seperated from the coracoidal part ot this cavity by a deep fossa. Fossa with wide foramen, divided into two deep cavities by a small bony ridge. Glenoidal cavity with its vertically placed long axis consists of two surfaces, set at an obtuse angle. The smaller, upper articuar surface belongs to the scapula and is slightly concave, both vertically and horizontally. The larger, lower articular surface belongs to the coracoid and is slightly concave in a vertical direction but clearly convex in the horizontal direction. Humerus with a broad, crescent-shaped proximal articular surface, divided along an oblique line into two areas with slightly different convexity. From the proximal articular surface a gradually broadening deltopectoral crest is expanding distally along the shaft. A rather low ulnar crest starts at the opposite side of the crescent-shaped proximal surface and extends distally over almost the same length as the radial crest.
In the proximal part of its palmar side the humerus is slightly concave lengthwise and deeply concave perpendicular to the shaft. More distally the palmar shaft becomes convex in both directions and becomes nearly circular in cross section where the distal part of theradial crest meets the shaft. The humerus possesses a wide foramen pneumaticum, two-fifth [sic] down the ulnar crest on the convex, aconal side. The preserved proximal part of the humerus measures 90 mm, the total length of the humerus is estimated between 210 and 270 mm. Thickness of the compact outer bone layer in the shaft of the humerus is less than 0.5 mm.
Large and extremely elongated mid-cervical vertebrae with a relatively low neural crest over total length of the neural arch. Two ventrolateral posterior apophyses projecting slightly behind reniform hinder ball of the centrum. One single, centrally placed anterior apophyse. Apophyses non-articular. Constricted neural canal, 5 mm wide and flanked by lateral openings or pneumatic foramina of the same size. In each side of the centrum, about halfway [sic] its length, two elongated foramina, placed slightly obliquely. Thickness of the compact outer bone layer in the cervicals less than 0.3 mm. (de Buisonjé, 1980)
Proximal and middle portions of the deltopectoral crest have an almost straight ventral margin. (Kellner & Tomida, 2000)

Comments:

References:
de Buisonje P. H.  1979 Santanadactylus brasiliensis nov.gen. nov.sp. a longnecked, large pterosaur from the Aptian of Brazil, Proceedings of the Koninklijke Nederlanse Akademie van Wetenschappen, Proc.B 83(2) 1980 pp.145-172 Amsterdam

de Buisonjé, P. H. 1980 Santanadactylus brasilensis nov. gen., nov. sp., a long necked, large pterosaurier from the Aptian of Brasil. I. Proc. k. nederl. Akad. Wet. B 83, 145–157.

Wellnhofer P; 1985, Neue Pterosaurier aus der Santana-Formation (Apt) der Chapada do Araripe, Brasilien, Palaontographica, A,187: 105-182 Stuttgart

Wellnhofer, P. 1991 Weitere Pterosaurierfunde aus der Santana-Formation (Apt) der Chapada do Araripe, Brasilien. Palaeontographica A 215, 43–101.

Kellner, A. W. A. and Tomida., Y. 2000, Description of a new species of Anhangueridae (Pterodactyloidea) with comments on the pterosaur fauna from the Santana Formation (Aptian -Albian), Northeastern Brazil. National Science Museum Monographs No. 17, National Science Museum, Tokyo. p. 1-135.

Veldmeijer, A. J., 2006 Toothed pterosaurs from the Santana Formation (Cretaceous; Aptian–Albian) of northeastern Brazil. (Doctoral dissertation, Utrecht Universtiy, 2006). Proefschrift Universiteit Utrecht. p. 1-269.

---

©2006 Mike Hanson | Logo ©2004-2006 John Conway