Figure 1.
NHMUK PV R36621, holotype of Vectidraco daisymorrisae (except right ischium: see Figure 2).
A, specimen as seen from left side, showing lateral surface of left side of pelvis and associated vertebrae; B, specimen as seen from right side, showing medial surface of left side of pelvis and associated vertebrae; C, specimen in dorsal view, anterior pointing down the page; D, specimen in ventral view, anterior pointing down the page.
Figure 2.
NHMUK PV R36621, incomplete right holotype ischium of Vectidraco daisymorrisae.
A, medial view, showing largely featureless medial surface; B, lateral view, showing poorly expressed posteroventral convex region connected to feint diagonal ridge extending anterodorsally (compare with Figure 1A, 3).
Figure 3.
NHMUK PV R36621, left side of pelvis of Vectidraco daisymorrisae.
A, diagrammatic representation, with associated vertebrae and matrix shown removed; B, detail of lower part of pelvis, showing autapomorphic subtriangular concavity and associated dorsal ridge posterior to acetabulum. The detailed anatomy of the ischium is more obvious on the left side than the right (compare with Figure 2).
Figure 4.
NHMUK PV R36621, left postacetabular process of Vectidraco daisymorrisae.
A, postacetabular process in lateral view; B, diagrammatic interpretation of postacetabular process in lateral view, showing lateral fossa located anterodorsally and close to apex; note that apex is covered by a convex, platform-like structure that wraps around the apex posteriorly but is flatter anteriorly; C, postacetabular process in medial view; D, diagrammatic interpretation of postacetabular process in medial view showing large oval fossa and smaller, associated subtriangular cavity; anteroventral to both, damage to the bone surface reveals the camellate interior of the bone.
Figure 5.
Speculative reconstruction of Vectidraco daisymorrisae.
We assume that Vectidraco was similar in overall morphology and proportions to Tapejara and other small-bodied azhdarchoids, was edentulous, possibly crested, in possession of relatively short wings, and capable of parasagittal quadrupedal locomotion as shown here. Total length = c. 350 mm, wingspan = c. 750 mm.
Figure 6.
Highly simplified pterosaur phylogeny – topology based on that recovered by Unwin [57] – to show phylogenetic content of clade names used in the text.
Caelidracones, Breviquartossa and Lophocratia are all node-based clades named by Unwin [57]. Novialoidea is a node-based clade named by Kellner [56]; it is essentially identical in content and definition to Unwin’s Longchognatha [57]. Pterodactyloidea was defined by Unwin [57] as the node-based Pteranodon longiceps+Quetzalcoatlus northropi clade but by Kellner [56] as the Pterodactylus antiquus+Quetzalcoatlus northropi clade. Neither definition is satisfactory since neither ‘captures’ all taxa in all topologies. Pterosaur silhouettes provided by Mark Witton.
Figure 7.
Different pterosaur prepubes in dorsal view, showing different states of characters 1–3, as illustrated by exemplar taxa.
A, left half of prepubis of Dimorphodon macronyx in dorsal view, after Sayão and Kellner [50]; B, complete prepubis of Dimorphodon macronyx in dorsal view, after Sayão and Kellner [50]; C, left half of prepubis of Eudimorphodon ranzii in probable ventral view, after Wild [71]; D, complete prepubis of Nyctosaurus gracilis, after Williston [64]. See text for accompanying description of characters and their primitive (0) and derived (1) states. Scale bar = 10 mm.
Figure 8.
Pterosaur pelves in left lateral view showing different states of characters 4–8 and 10–11, as illustrated by exemplar taxa.
A, Dimorphodon macronyx, after Wellnhofer [50]; B, Crato Formation neoazhdarchian MN 6588-V, after Sayão and Kellner [50]; C Coloborhynchus spielbergi, after Veldmeijer [48]; D, Kimmeridgian dsungaripterid DFMMH/FV500, after Fastnacht [53]; E, Germanodactylus rhamphastinus, after Wellnhofer [66]; F, Pterodactylus antiquus, after Wellnhofer [32]. See text for accompanying description of characters and their primitive (0) and derived (1) states. Scale bar = 10 mm.
Figure 9.
Pterosaur pelves in dorsal view showing different states of characters 9 and 20–22, as illustrated by exemplar taxa.
A, Rhamphorhynchus muensteri, after Wellnhofer [32]; B, Coloborhynchus spielbergi, after Veldmeijer [48]. See text for accompanying description of characters and their primitive (0) and derived (1) states. Scale bar = 10 mm.
Figure 10.
Pterosaur pelves in left lateral view (except D and F) showing different states of characters 12–19 and 23, as illustrated by exemplar taxa.
A, Eudimorphodon ranzii, after Wild [71]; B, Rhamphorhynchus muensteri, after Wellnhofer [76]; C, Crato Formation neoazhdarchian MN 6588-V, after Sayão and Kellner [50]; D, postacetabular process in medial view of Tapejara wellnhoferi, after Eck et al. [72]; E, Dsungaripterus weii, after Young [67]; F, right side of pelvis in medial view of Nyctosaurus gracilis, after Williston [70]; G, Kimmeridgian dsungaripterid DFMMH/FV500, after Fastnacht [53]; H, Pteranodon longiceps, after Bennett [71]; I, Pterodactylus antiquus, after Wellnhofer [66]. See text for accompanying description of characters and their primitive (0) and derived (1) states. Scale bar = 10 mm.
Figure 11.
Trees resulting from inclusion of Vectidraco in both pelvis-only analysis and total-evidence analyses of Pterosauria.
A, strict consensus of 3 MPTs (each 63 steps in length) resulting from analysis of the pelvis-only data set (with default outgroup); while little resolution is evident, Vectidraco groups with the azhdarchoids Tapejara and the Crato Formation neoazhdarchian MN 6588-V; B, Strict consensus tree of 12 MPTs resulting from analysis of the recoded Wang et al. [68] data set. The tree is illustrated here with a single outgroup, but Ornithosuchus, Herrerasaurus and Scleromochlus were all variously employed to root the analysis (following Wang et al. [68]): this did not result in any changes to resultant tree topologies. Vectidraco is recovered as part of a mostly unresolved clade containing azhdarchoids and dsungaripterids.