Abstract: The Brazilian Crato Formation (Lower Cretaceous, Aptian) is well known for its rich pterosaur fauna. This paper deals with a new find represented by four articulated mid-cervical vertebrae. The vertebrae show a morphology consistent with that seen in the Chaoyangopteridae, especially the relative elongation, low neural spines, lack of pneumatic foramina on the lateral face of the centra and the presence of well-developed postexapophyses. Chaoyangopterids are, so far, represented with confidence only in Chinese deposits; the only record outside the Jehol Group is the Crato Formation form Lacusovagus magnificens , a partial skull whose assignment to the Chaoyangopteridae has been disputed. Given this controversy, we review the phylogenetic position of Lacusovagus , and discuss the nesting of our new specimen among theChaoyangopteridae, providing some comments concerning the composition of the group. We conclude that our new specimen provides further support for the presence of chaoyangopterids in the Early Cretaceous of Brazil. Supplementary material: Phylogenetic analysis data are available at: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.c.3873391

Abstract The discovery of a left scapula and coracoid (MBLUZ P-911) representing the first evidence of a pterosaur from Venezuela is reported here. The material comes from the Lower Cretaceous (Aptian) Apón Formation, in the northwestern part of the country. In MBLUZ P-911 the scapula is significantly smaller than the coracoid, a synapomorphy of the Pteranodontoidea, according to Kellner. The coracoid of the Venezuelan specimen is more elongated and gracile than those of Istiodactylus and Pteranodon, and also lacks the ventromedial coracoidal flange present in the latter. Overall MBLUZ P-911 is very similar to the scapulocoracoid of the Anhangueridae, including the presence of a longitudinal ridge on the medial surface of the coracoid and a comparatively short scapula, and is therefore tentatively referred to this taxon. This occurrence extends the pterosaur record to the northern part of the South American portion of Gondwana.

Abstract A cladistic analysis based on 39 terminal taxa and 74 characters (several multistate) using PAUP (Phylogenetic Analysis Using Parsimony) (3.1.1 for Macintosh and 4.0b10 for Microsoft Windows) presents a new hypothesis of pterosaur inter-relationships. This study suggests that the most primitive taxon is the Anurognathidae, followed by Sordes and all remaining pterosaurs. Dendrorhynchoides is confirmed as a member of the Anurognathidae, being closely related to Batrachognathus. Preondactylus occupies a more derived position than Sordes, which questions its previous assignment as the most primitive pterosaur. The hypothesis of rhamphorhynchoid paraphyly is confirmed, with the Rhamphorhynchidae more closely related to the Pterodactyloidea than to more basal forms. The Pterodactyloidea shows a basal dichotomy: the Archaeopterodactyloidea and the Dsungaripteroidea. The Archaeopterodactyloidea is formed by Pterodactylus + Germanodactylus and a clade formed by Gallodactylidae + Ctenochasmatidae. The Nyctosauridae occupies the basal position within dsungaripteroids and is followed by the Pteranodontoidea and the Tapejaroidea. Pteranodontoids have Pteranodon at the base, followed stepwise by Istiodactylus, Ornithocheirus and the Anhangueridae. Tapejaroids are composed of the Dsungaripteridae at the base followed by the Tapejaridae and the Azhdarchidae. Major trends within pterosaur evolutionary history are: general increase in size (wing span and body); increase of wing metacarpal and pteroid; decrease of proportional length of the second and third wing phalanx relative to the first; gradual increase of rostrum (anterior to external nares); and anterior shift of the skull-mandible articulation. Cranial crests are present in most pterodacty-loids, but markedly in the Ornithocheiroidea, where all taxa show some sort of crest on the skull. The loss of teeth, previously assumed to have occurred independently in several lineages, seems to be a general trend among dsungaripteroids. Several nodes recovered by this analysis are supported by very few characters, a result at least partially attributable to the limited available information from several taxa due to poor preservation and/or preparation.