燕辽生物群蛙嘴翼龙科形态学及系统发育研究

蛙嘴翼龙科是一类小型的翼龙，以宽短的头骨区别于其他翼龙类群。由于具有短的颈椎、短的翼掌骨、发育的第五脚趾等特征，被归入原始的长尾的非翼手龙类。因为化石数量稀少，对于蛙嘴翼龙类的骨骼形态，尤其是头骨的结构，尚无详细研究。同时，对于蛙嘴翼龙科的系统分类位置，翼龙研究者中存在很大争议。近年来，在燕辽、热河生物群中发现了大量的蛙嘴翼龙类化石，其中一些保存有软组织，是研究蛙嘴翼龙科形态学、分类学、生活习性等方面的重要材料。本项目拟采用野外化石产地考察、板状化石CT扫描、骨组织学、系统发育分析等多种技术手段相结合的方法，对燕辽、热河生物群的蛙嘴翼龙类开展以下几个方面的研究：（1）头骨的形态结构；（2）尾椎长度与个体发育的关系；（3）属种鉴定特征的厘定；（4）系统分类位置；（5）软组织；（6）化石产出层位的厘定。明确蛙嘴翼龙类的骨骼形态和系统分类位置，并讨论翼龙类的形态结构及其演化。

The Anurognathidae is a group of small-sized pterosaurs, distinguishing with the other pterosaurs by the short and wide frog-like skull. Because of bearing short cervical vertebrate, short wing metacarpal, and developed the fifth toe, anurognathids are considered as basal long-tailed non-pterodactyloid pterosaurs. Up to now, there is no detailed morphologic study on the skeleton of the Anurognathidae, especially on the anurognathid skull, due to the rareness of specimens. For the same reason, the phylogenetic position of the Anurognathidae on the Pterosauria tree has been controversial among pterosaur researchers. Recently, many anurognathid fossils were found from the Yanliao and Jehol biotas, some of which preserved soft tissues. These materials are very valuable for the study of the morphology, taxonomy, life behavior, and so on. In this project, we plan to take the combination of a variety of technical methods, such as field fossil locality observation, flat slab specimen computed laminography, bone histology, cladistic analysis, organic remains, and so on. By this way to carry out the following research on the anurognathid pterosaurs from the Yanliao and Jehol biotas. (1) The morphostructure of the skull. (2) The relationship between tail length and ontogeny stage. (3) The diagnosis and classification. (4) The phylogenetic position. (5) The soft tissues. (6) The confirmation of the horizon of the fossils. Based on determining the morphology and cladistics of the Anurognathidae, we will discuss the morphostructure and evolution of the Pterosauria.