Azhdarchid pterosaur diversity in the Bayanshiree Formation, Upper Cretaceous of the Gobi Desert, Mongolia.

ABSTRACT: Pterosaur remains are very rare in Mongolian Mesozoic deposits, in stark contrast with the great abundance of dinosaur fossils in the region. This contribution presents a reassessment of the azhdarchid pterosaur remains from the Bayanshiree Formation's "upper beds" (Turonian-Santonian), represented by two specimens coming from two distinct localities: the Burkhant and the Bayshin Tsav azhdarchids. These specimens, collected by the Japanese-Mongolian Joint Paleontological Expedition and originally described in 2009, have been previously interpreted as indeterminate azhdarchids. Under the light of current knowledge on the morphological diversity of azhdarchid cervical vertebrae, as well as on the taxonomic and phylogenetic signals these skeletal elements carry, we herein identify diagnostic

SUBMITTER: Pegas RV 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12447946 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature