Tacuadactylus facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Tacuadactylus |
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Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Order: | †Pterosauria |
| Suborder: | †Pterodactyloidea |
| Family: | †Ctenochasmatidae |
| Subfamily: | †Gnathosaurinae |
| Genus: | †Tacuadactylus Soto et al., 2021 |
| Type species | |
| †Tacuadactylus luciae Soto et al., 2021
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Tacuadactylus is a type of pterosaur that lived during the Late Jurassic period. Pterosaurs were flying reptiles, not dinosaurs, and they soared through the skies millions of years ago. This specific pterosaur was discovered in Uruguay, a country in South America.
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Discovering Tacuadactylus
The story of Tacuadactylus's discovery is quite interesting! In 2016, a fossilized snout was found near a place called Batoví in Uruguay. At first, scientists thought it belonged to a sawfish. Sawfish are a type of ray with a long, flat snout that looks like a saw. This would have made it the oldest known sawfish ever found.
A Closer Look
However, scientists decided to take a closer look using a special scan called a CAT-scan. This scan helps them see inside the fossil without damaging it. What they found was surprising! The "teeth" that seemed to stick out straight were actually just sediment (like hardened mud) filling the empty spaces where teeth used to be. The real tooth sockets pointed forward, just like they do in pterosaurs.
So, in 2018, the fossil was officially recognized as the first pterosaur ever found in Uruguay. It didn't have a name yet, but it was a very exciting discovery!
Naming the New Pterosaur
In 2021, this amazing pterosaur finally got its official name: Tacuadactylus luciae. It was named and described by a team of scientists including Matías Soto, Felipe Montenegro, Pablo Toriño, Valeria Mesa, and Daniel Perea.
What the Name Means
The name Tacuadactylus has two parts. "Tacua" comes from the Tacuarembó Formation, which is the rock layer where the fossil was found. "Dactylus" comes from a Greek word meaning "finger." Many pterosaur names use "dactylus" because their wings were supported by a very long fourth finger.
The second part of the name, luciae, was chosen to honor Matías Soto's daughter, Lucia. It's a common practice for scientists to name new species after people they care about.
What We Found
The main fossil found, called the holotype, is known as FC-DPV-2869. It includes pieces of the animal's snout (called the rostrum) and lower jaw (called the dentary). These fragments were found in the Batoví Member of the lower Tacuarembó Formation.
Scientists also found six separate teeth, known as specimen FC-DPV 3090. These teeth were discovered at a different location called Bidegain, but in the same rock formation.
Tacuadactylus's Family Tree
Tacuadactylus belongs to a group of pterosaurs called Gnathosaurinae. It is closely related to another pterosaur named Gnathosaurus.
When it was described in 2021, Tacuadactylus was the oldest known pterosaur from the ctenochasmatid family found in South America. This makes it a very important fossil for understanding how these flying reptiles lived and spread across the ancient world.
See also
In Spanish: Tacuadactylus para niños
