Dawndraco
Encyclopedia
Dawndraco is a genus
of pteranodontid
pterosaur
from the Late Cretaceous
of North America
.
Dawndraco was named by Alexander W.A. Kellner
in 2010
. The type species
is Dawndraco kanzai. The generic name combines the Dawn deity of the Iroquois
with a Latin
draco, "dragon". The specific name refers to the Kanza tribe of Kansas
.
Dawndraco is based on holotype
UALVP 24238, a partial skeleton
including an almost complete skull
and lower jaws. It was recovered in 1974 by Richard C. Fox and Allen Lindoe from rocks of the lower part of the Smoky Hill Chalk Member of the Niobrara Formation
in Utica, Kansas
. These rocks date to the late Coniacian
or early Santonian
stage, about 86 million years ago.
The specimen was earlier referred to Pteranodon
sternbergi. However, when Kellner in 2010 assigned this latter species to the genus Geosternbergia
, he concluded that specimen UALVP 24238 was too different from it to be accounted for by individual variation or sexual dimorphism
and therefore named a separate genus. A unique trait is that the snout does not strongly taper towards the front as with Pteranodon, the upper and lower margins running almost parallel instead.
Dawndraco was assigned by Kellner to the Pteranodontidae
.
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
of pteranodontid
Pteranodontidae
The Pteranodontidae are a family of large pterosaurs of the Cretaceous Period of North America.The family was named in 1876 by Othniel Charles Marsh....
pterosaur
Pterosaur
Pterosaurs were flying reptiles of the clade or order Pterosauria. They existed from the late Triassic to the end of the Cretaceous Period . Pterosaurs are the earliest vertebrates known to have evolved powered flight...
from the Late Cretaceous
Late Cretaceous
The Late Cretaceous is the younger of two epochs into which the Cretaceous period is divided in the geologic timescale. Rock strata from this epoch form the Upper Cretaceous series...
of North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
.
Dawndraco was named by Alexander W.A. Kellner
Alexander Kellner
Alexander Wilhelm Armin Kellner is a Liechtensteinian/Brazilian paleontologist, a leading expert in the field of the study of pterosaurs....
in 2010
2010 in paleontology
-Anomalocaridids:-Newly named crustaceans:-Newly named insects:* A new family, Cascopleciidae, is published by Poinar Jr.* A new family of ceraphronoid Hymenopters, Radiophronidae, is published by Ortega-Blanco, Rasnitsyn, and Delclòs....
. The type species
Type species
In biological nomenclature, a type species is both a concept and a practical system which is used in the classification and nomenclature of animals and plants. The value of a "type species" lies in the fact that it makes clear what is meant by a particular genus name. A type species is the species...
is Dawndraco kanzai. The generic name combines the Dawn deity of the Iroquois
Iroquois
The Iroquois , also known as the Haudenosaunee or the "People of the Longhouse", are an association of several tribes of indigenous people of North America...
with a Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
draco, "dragon". The specific name refers to the Kanza tribe of Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
.
Dawndraco is based on holotype
Holotype
A holotype is a single physical example of an organism, known to have been used when the species was formally described. It is either the single such physical example or one of several such, but explicitly designated as the holotype...
UALVP 24238, a partial skeleton
Skeleton
The skeleton is the body part that forms the supporting structure of an organism. There are two different skeletal types: the exoskeleton, which is the stable outer shell of an organism, and the endoskeleton, which forms the support structure inside the body.In a figurative sense, skeleton can...
including an almost complete skull
Skull
The skull is a bony structure in the head of many animals that supports the structures of the face and forms a cavity for the brain.The skull is composed of two parts: the cranium and the mandible. A skull without a mandible is only a cranium. Animals that have skulls are called craniates...
and lower jaws. It was recovered in 1974 by Richard C. Fox and Allen Lindoe from rocks of the lower part of the Smoky Hill Chalk Member of the Niobrara Formation
Niobrara Formation
The Niobrara Formation, also called the Niobrara Chalk , is a geologic formation in North America that was laid down between 87 and 82 million years ago during the Coniacian, Santonian, and Campanian ages of the Late Cretaceous. It is composed of two structural units, the Smoky Hill Chalk Member...
in Utica, Kansas
Utica, Kansas
Utica is a city in Ness County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 158.-History:Utica was named by early pioneer C.W. Bell who was from Utica, New York.-Geography:Utica is located at...
. These rocks date to the late Coniacian
Coniacian
The Coniacian is an age or stage in the geologic timescale. It is a subdivision of the Late Cretaceous epoch or Upper Cretaceous series and spans the time between 89.3 ± 1 Ma and 85.8 ± 0.7 Ma...
or early Santonian
Santonian
The Santonian is an age in the geologic timescale or a chronostratigraphic stage. It is a subdivision of the Late Cretaceous epoch or Upper Cretaceous series. It spans the time between 85.8 ± 0.7 mya and 83.5 ± 0.7 mya...
stage, about 86 million years ago.
The specimen was earlier referred to Pteranodon
Pteranodon
Pteranodon , from the Late Cretaceous geological period of North America in present day Kansas, Alabama, Nebraska, Wyoming, and South Dakota, was one of the largest pterosaur genera and had a maximum wingspan of over...
sternbergi. However, when Kellner in 2010 assigned this latter species to the genus Geosternbergia
Geosternbergia
Geosternbergia from the Late Cretaceous geological period of North America, was one of the largest pterosaur genera and had a wingspan of up to .-Description:...
, he concluded that specimen UALVP 24238 was too different from it to be accounted for by individual variation or sexual dimorphism
Sexual dimorphism
Sexual dimorphism is a phenotypic difference between males and females of the same species. Examples of such differences include differences in morphology, ornamentation, and behavior.-Examples:-Ornamentation / coloration:...
and therefore named a separate genus. A unique trait is that the snout does not strongly taper towards the front as with Pteranodon, the upper and lower margins running almost parallel instead.
Dawndraco was assigned by Kellner to the Pteranodontidae
Pteranodontidae
The Pteranodontidae are a family of large pterosaurs of the Cretaceous Period of North America.The family was named in 1876 by Othniel Charles Marsh....
.