Melkamter
Genus of monofenestratan pterosaurs
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Melkamter (Tehuelche pronunciation: [melkamter]) (meaning "winged lizard") is an extinct genus of monofenestratan pterosaurs from the Early Jurassic Cañadón Asfalto Formation of Argentina. The genus contains a single species, M. pateko, known from a partial skull and fragmentary postcranium. Melkamter represents the oldest known monofenestratan pterosaur in the fossil record.[1]
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| Melkamter Temporal range: Early Jurassic, | |
|---|---|
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| Holotype specimen | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | †Pterosauria |
| Clade: | †Pterodactylomorpha |
| Clade: | †Monofenestrata |
| Genus: | †Melkamter Fernandes, Pol & Rauhut, 2024 |
| Species: | †M. pateko |
| Binomial name | |
| †Melkamter pateko Fernandes, Pol & Rauhut, 2024 | |
Discovery and naming
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The Melkamter holotype specimen, MPEF-PV 11530, was discovered in sediments of the Cañadón Asfalto Formation (Queso Rallado locality) near the Cerro Cóndor village of Chubut Province, Argentina. The specimen consists of a partial cranium preserved on a slab and counterslab, two teeth, four dorsal vertebrae, a wing metacarpal, and other unidentified bone fragments.[1]
The fossil material was first reported at an academic conference in 2024 before its formal description.[2]
In 2024, Fernandes, Pol & Rauhut described Melkamter pateko as a new genus and species of early monofenestratan pterosaurs based on these fossil remains. The generic name, Melkamter ([melkamter]), is derived from Tehuelche words mel, meaning "wing" and kamter, meaning "big lizard", referencing the etymology of clade Pterosauria (meaning "winged lizard" in Greek). The specific name, pateko ([pateko]), combines the Tehuelche words pate, meaning "rasped" and ko, meaning "set of bones", referencing the type locality (Queso Rallado, meaning "grated cheese") and the broken preservation of the holotype.[1]
Melkamter is the fifth Jurassic pterosaur to be named from South America, following Herbstosaurus in 1975, Wenupteryx in 2013, the coeval Allkaruen in 2016, and Tacuadactylus in 2021.[1]
Description
The preserved skull of Melkamter is 131.3 millimetres (5.17 in) long.[1]