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Thalassodromidae

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Description

These are what I nicknamed "flying nefertities".

Thalassodromids are a small and endemic group of rather large pterosaurs known mostly from skull remains coming from early Albian strata of Santana Formation in Brazil.

Their heads are here restored with taphonomic interpretation (so that, for istance, Thalassodromeus is not depicted with the literal bifurcation at the distal tip of the crest because it is likely a taphonomic bias) but still as accurately as possible (and each other to scale).

It is possible and speculatable that these four species were possibly expressions of intraspecific/sexual variation of the same species, but currently that's a quite subjective matter.

Phylogenetical affinities of Thalassodromidae are uncertain. 
Recent topologies suggested they could be related to azhdarchids, dsungaripterids or both (when the latters are found to be more strictly related to the formers rather than to tapejarids).
I still suspect they could be basal tapejarids (as in the original interpretation), since their lower jaws are very similar to those of recently described basal tapejarids such as Aymberedactylus, but I'm a bit less familiar with pterosaurs, so don't rely on me. Still quite proud of the drawing, though. 
 
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Atlantis536's avatar
What do you think of the study that says Aerotitan and Alanqa are thalassodromids?