Alcione

Alcione shi ne pterosaur na farko na rukunin nyctosaurid da aka taɓa gano daga ƙarshen lokacin Cretaceous a Afirka.1

Ƙasusuwan hannunsa da kafadunsa gajeru ne kuma masu kauri, wanda hakan ya ba shi fadin fikafikai da ya fi na sauran nyctosaurids ƙanƙanta. Wataƙila hakan ya taimaka masa wajen tashi da sauri ko nutsewa cikin ruwa.1

Ƙashin hannu na sama (humerus) na Alcione yana da wani siffar gatari don haɗa tsoka, wanda hakan alama ce cewa shi nyctosaurid ne.1

Alcione ya rayu kimanin shekaru miliyan 72 zuwa 66 da suka wuce, a lokacin Maastrichtian. Wannan kusan daidai ne kafin babban halakar da ta kashe dinosaurs waɗanda ba tsuntsaye ba.2

Masana kimiyya sun gano Alcione a cikin ma'adanin phosphate guda ɗaya da ya samar da wasu pterosaurs da yawa, kamar Phosphatodraco, da kuma dabbobi masu rarrafe na ruwa.1

Alcione ƙaramin pterosaur ne idan aka kwatanta shi da wasu manyan danginsa. Fiffikensa gajeru suna nuna cewa bai daɗe yana shawagi kamar tsuntsun frigatebird ba, sai dai ya fi buga fiffikensa akai-akai.1