Otogopterus
Otogopterus is a genus of pterosaur in the family Ctenochasmatidae, known from Early Cretaceous rocks in the Ordos region of Inner Mongolia, China. It contains one species, O. haoae, named in 2020 by Ji Shu'an and Zhang Lifu. O. haoae is known from a partial lower jaw, which is long and straight, and bears a ridge on each side that divides the outer surface of the jaw. After Ordosipterus, Otogopterus is the second pterosaur known from the Ordos region.
Discovery and naming
The Ordos Basin of Inner Mongolia, China is considered an important record of the Early Cretaceous fauna of the country. During the 1980s, the Sino-Canadian Dinosaur Project carried out expeditions into the region and published numerous studies on dinosaurs and turtles found by the project. In addition to these remains, a 1993 study referenced the existence of pterosaurs fossils from the region. Dedicated research on these pterosaurs, however, failed to materialize, leaving an absence of definitive evidence of their presence. Years later, Ji Shu-an would discover new pterosaur fossils in the region. The first of these was a jawbone that was named by Ji in 2020 as Ordosipterus in 2020. The second was discovered near Zhaoshao Village, Mukainaoer Town; though little of the geologic strata was exposed and a lack of geologic landmarks was noted at the locality, the site is thought to belong to the middle section of the Luohandong Formation of the Zhidan Group.Later in November of 2020, the second jaw was named by Ji and Zhang Lifu as the new genus and species Otogopterus haoae. The generic name Otogopterus refers to the Otog Banner locality, where it was discovered, while the specific name haoae honours palaeontologist Hao Yichun, who contributed greatly to research of the stratigraphy of the region. The name bearing and only known specimen is a long dentary bone. It was identified as a member of the family Ctenochasmatidae.