A new member of Chiropteridae in Jehol biota: What are the living habits of Campos Lingyuan Chiropteryx?

The Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology, Institute of Paleoanthropology, China Academy of Sciences has carefully studied the fossils unearthed from Jiufotang Formation in Sihedang, Lingyuan, Liaoning Province, and found a new species-Campos Lingyuan Pterosaur. This pterosaur mainly lived in the warm and humid Early Cretaceous, and mainly ate fish, but also preyed on small animals and carrion.

Pterosaur family. Pterosaurs are very important species among flying reptiles, and they have the same evolutionary history as dinosaurs. There are more than 100 species of pterosaurs on the earth, but they are all extinct. About 400 million years ago, the branches of fleshfin fish evolved into forelimbs and hind limbs, and finally evolved into quadrupeds. With the passage of time, the ancestors of pterosaurs were born on earth 230 million years ago. Because of their small size, they can only live on tree trunks or cliffs to avoid being hunted. In the end, pterosaurs evolved in addition to gliding. With the increase of the earth's temperature, the oxygen content in the air has greatly increased, and the competition on the ground has become more and more fierce. Pterosaur finally chose to fly in the sky and became the largest flying animal known to mankind on earth.

Campos Lingyuan pterosaur. Although pterosaurs were big, they were light. Their bones were full of air, so they could fly. So it can be seen from here that all pterosaurs will prey on carrion with insects, lizards, mammals and fish without food. The front teeth of the snout of Campos Lingyuan Chiropteryx discovered this time have no serrated structure, so its prey is mainly intact small animals, which eat by swallowing. It seems very similar to modern birds. According to the research of scientists, Campos Lingyuan Pterosaur found that it mainly lived in the Cretaceous period/kloc-0.2 billion years ago, when the earth's environment was dry and wet alternately. During this period, birds began to appear on the earth. At the same time, it can also prove that some pterosaurs have been used for bird characteristics.