title: Premaxillary crest variation within the Wukongopteridae (Reptilia, Pterosauria) and comments on cranial structures in pterosaurs.
abstract: Cranial crests show considerable variation within the Pterosauria, a group of flying reptiles that developed powered flight. This includes the Wukongopteridae, a clade of non-pterodactyloids, where the presence or absence of such head structures, allied with variation in the pelvic canal, have been regarded as evidence for sexual dimorphism. Here we discuss the cranial crest variation within wukongopterids and briefly report on a new specimen (IVPP V 17957). We also show that there is no significant variation in the anatomy of the pelvis of crested and crestless specimens. We further revisit the discussion regarding the function of cranial structures in pterosaurs and argue that they cannot be dismissed a priori as a valuable tool for species recognition.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, P.O. Box 643, 100044, Beijing, China.|Laboratory of Systematics and Taphonomy of Fossil Vertebrates, Department of Geology and Paleontology, Museu Nacional/Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Quinta da Boa Vista, s/n, São Cristóvão, 20940-040 Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
authors.forename: Xin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, P.O. Box 643, 100044, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Shunxing
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, P.O. Box 643, 100044, Beijing, China.|University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100049, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Xiaolin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Systematics and Taphonomy of Fossil Vertebrates, Department of Geology and Paleontology, Museu Nacional/Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Quinta da Boa Vista, s/n, São Cristóvão, 20940-040 Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
authors.forename: Alexander W A
authors.initials: AWA
authors.lastname: Kellner
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002681:China; D005426:Flight, Animal; D005580:Fossils / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D008437:Maxilla / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D012016:Reference Values; D012104:Reptiles / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000145:classification; D012737:Sex Factors; D012886:Skull / Q000033:anatomy & histology*