Douzhanopterus

Douzhanopterus had a tail that was 173% the length of its upper arm bone (humerus), which is shorter than older pterosaurs but still longer than later pterodactyloids.2

Its fifth toe on the foot was reduced, with the first toe bone only about 20% the length of the third foot bone.2

The only known fossil of Douzhanopterus is a skeleton without a skull, stored at the Shandong Tianyu Museum of Nature in China.1

Douzhanopterus lived about 160 to 161 million years ago, during the Oxfordian stage of the Jurassic Period.2

Its name comes from a Chinese legend: Douzhan refers to a Buddha title given to the Monkey King Sun Wukong.1

Douzhanopterus is considered a transitional form, meaning it shows features between older long-tailed pterosaurs and newer short-tailed pterodactyloids.2

The fossil was bought from a local farmer who said it came from Toudaoyingzi, but scientists think it actually came from Linglongta in Liaoning, China.1