Biology:Satsumayokuryu
| Satsumayokuryu | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Order: | †Pterosauria |
| Clade: | †Caelidracones |
| Suborder: | †Pterodactyloidea Satsumayokuryu |
Satsumayokuryu is the informal name for a pterosaur fossil discovered in Shishijima, Nagashima, Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan, making it the first pterosaur fossil ever found in Kagoshima Prefecture and dating back to the Late Cretaceous Senomanian epoch, approximately 100 million years ago.[1] It was accidentally discovered by "Salaryman Fossil Hunter" Satoshi Utsunomiya during his coverage for NHK's "Darwin's Amazing Animals".[2][3] The fossil was later named "Satsuma Pterosaur".[4]
Overview
The pterosaur fossil is believed to be from the mid-Cretaceous period (approximately 100 million years ago) and is thought to represent a part of either the pterosaur's wing or a portion of its hind limb. It was named "Satsuma Pterosaur" by the research team. In nearby strata, the fossil of an ichthyosaur known as the "Satsuma Utsunomiya-ryu" was discovered in 2004, making it one of the oldest-known examples in East Asia according to the research team.[1]
The fossil is approximately 7 centimeters in length and has an elliptical cylindrical shape with a thickness of about 2 to 3 centimeters. It was discovered on November 19, 2020, by Satoshi Utsunomiya, a fossil hunter, in the strata of the Cretaceous "Gosho-ura Formation" on the coast of Shoshima, Nagashima, Kagoshima Prefecture. Analysis of the fossil by a research team consisting of Satoshi Utsunomiya and Associate Professor Yasutoshi Nakajima of Tokyo City University (paleontology) revealed that it represents a bone fossil from either the pterosaur's wing (forelimb) or a part of its hind limb.[1]
The fossil's surface is covered with a layer of bone approximately 1 to 2 millimeters thick, while the interior is filled with petrified mud. It is believed that the internal structure of the bone was hollow, indicating that it was lightweight during the creature's life. The size of the pterosaur is estimated to be comparable to Anhanguera, a pterosaur with a wingspan of approximately 4 to 5 meters that lived during the same period.[1]
This discovery sheds light on a portion of the Pacific ecosystem during the warm period known as the mid-Cretaceous supergreenhouse.
See also
Satsumautsunomiyaryu a plesiosaur
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Yasutoshi Nakajima, Satoshi Utsunomiya (2022-04-13). "Pterosaur Fossils from the Cretaceous Gosho-ura Formation in Shoshima, Nagashima, Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan" (in Japanese). Fossil Study Society Journal (J-Global) 54: 2-60. https://jglobal.jst.go.jp/detail?JGLOBAL_ID=202202227134218813.
- ↑ "Twenty meters from the discovery site of East Asia's oldest elasmosaur, a rod-shaped fossil was found on the coastal rocks.". South Japan Newspaper 373news.com (South Japan Newspaper). 2022-06-18. https://373news.com/_news/storyid/157746/. Retrieved 2023-08-12.
- ↑ "Darwin's Amazing Animals! Surprise and Inspiration! Stories of Living Creatures". （NHK）. https://www.nhk.jp/p/darwin/ts/8M52YNKXZ4/blog/bl/p9oerqkz41/bp/p5V00GAMy8/. Retrieved 2023-08-12.
- ↑ "Fossil of 100-Million-Year-Old Pterosaur Discovered on Kagoshima Coast, Named 'Satsumayokuryu". 『Asahi Newspaper Digital』 (Asahi Newspaper). 2021-08-27. https://www.asahi.com/articles/ASP8V6DKLP8TTLTB008.html. Retrieved 2023-08-12.
External links
Wikidata ☰ Q121354306 entry
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