Huaxiapterus
Huaxiapterus was a small pterosaur that flew over ancient lakes in China. It had a long, pointed beak like a parrot and probably ate plants and seeds. Some scientists think it may actually be the same as another pterosaur called Sinopterus.13
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Fun facts
Huaxiapterus lived about 121 to 113 million years ago during the Cretaceous Period.3
Its name means 'Chinese wing' in Latin.1
Huaxiapterus is a type of tapejarid pterosaur, a group known for their big head crests and short tails.3
Some scientists think Huaxiapterus might actually be the same animal as Sinopterus, because their fossils are very similar.1
Huaxiapterus had a wingspan of about 1.2 to 1.9 metres (3.9 to 6.2 feet), about as wide as a tall adult human is tall.1
Most asked questions about Huaxiapterus
?How big was Huaxiapterus?
About 1.2 to 1.9 metres (3.9 to 6.2 feet) in wingspan, which is about as wide as a tall adult human is tall. The largest adults weighed about 2.87 kg (6.3 lb).12
?Did Huaxiapterus have teeth?
No, it had a long, pointed beak like a parrot and no teeth.2
?What did Huaxiapterus eat?
It probably ate plants and seeds, based on gut contents found in a similar pterosaur called Sinopterus.2
?Is Huaxiapterus a dinosaur?
No, it is a pterosaur, which is a flying reptile that lived at the same time as dinosaurs but is not a dinosaur.1
?When did Huaxiapterus live?
It lived about 121 to 113 million years ago during the Early Cretaceous Period.1
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Myth buster
Myth: Huaxiapterus is a valid, distinct genus of pterosaur.
Truth: Many scientists now think Huaxiapterus is actually the same as Sinopterus, because the differences between them are probably just due to age or growth.1
For dino experts
- Scientific name
- Huaxiapterus
- Named by
- Lü and Yuan 20053
- Group
- Flying reptiles
- Family / clade
- Tapejaridae3
- Classification
- Pterosauria > Pterodactyloidea3
- Age of the rocks
- 121 to 113 million years (Aptian)3
- Rock formations
- Jiufotang3
- Countries
- China3
- Fossil records
- 3 in the Paleobiology Database3
- Discovery
- Huaxiapterus was named by Chinese paleontologists Lü Junchang and Yuan Chongxi in 2005. The first fossils were found in the Jiufotang Formation in Liaoning, China.31
- Still debated
- Scientists are not sure if Huaxiapterus is really a separate genus from Sinopterus, or if all the different species named are just one or two species that changed as they grew.1
Where the facts come from
- Sinopterus (en.wikipedia.org)
- Sinopterus (Wikipedia) (Wikipedia)
- Huaxiapterus in The Paleobiology Database (CC BY 4.0): age, places, rock formations, classification.
Every fact on this page has a number that points to its source. If we got something wrong, sorry, we are dino fans, not a science journal. Tell us at [email protected] and we will fix it.
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