A new specimen of nyctosaurid pterosaur, cf. Muzquizopteryx sp. from the Late Cretaceous of northeast Mexico

Abstract

Here we describe a second nyctosaurid pterosaur from the Late Cretaceous laminated limestone deposits of northeast Mexico. The specimen was discovered in the Múzquiz quarry area in northern Coahuila and comprises an isolated right wing skeleton including the humerus, radius/ulna, carpus, wing finger metacarpus and the proximal segment of wing finger phalanx I. The specimen is likely to be a primarily isolated wing, at least the basal wing finger phalanx of which was complete prior to collection. The specimen is referred to cf. Muzquizopteryx sp. on account of its humerus morphology, which is coincident with that of Muzquizopteryx coahuilensis, although a lack of diagnostic characters at the species level prevents any further identification. Its discovery from the Late Turonian deposits of northern Coahuila near Muzquíz, confirms it as the oldest nyctosaurid discovered to date.