nasoantorbital

It now seems that nearly all of the characters proposed initially to distinguish Tupuxuara from other pterodactyloid pterosaurs are problematic in not being unique to the genus, but in fact Tupuxuara is clearly diagnosable, being unique in having a sort of deep premaxillary crest in which the dorsal margin extends subparallel to the dorsal margin of the nasoantorbital fenestra (Martill & Naish 2006, p. 931).

Those sexy tupuxuarids Darren Naish 2006

It now seems that nearly all of the characters proposed initially to distinguish Tupuxuara from other pterodactyloid pterosaurs are problematic in not being unique to the genus, but in fact Tupuxuara is clearly diagnosable, being unique in having a sort of deep premaxillary crest in which the dorsal margin extends subparallel to the dorsal margin of the nasoantorbital fenestra (Martill & Naish 2006, p. 931).

Archive 2006-11-01 Darren Naish 2006

Some kind of bony crest is present over the caudal part of the nasoantorbital fenestra.

Archive 2006-04-01 Darren Naish 2006

In contrast to scavenging raptors, corvids and marabous, the azhdarchid rostrum does not appear to have been well braced around its openings (this is the naris in the birds, but the nasoantorbital fenestra in the azhdarchids), nor (with its bony dorsal crest) is the skull well suited for probing into body cavities, nor is the long, stiff neck in agreement with this lifestyle.

Archive 2006-04-01 Darren Naish 2006

In basic terms, the rostrum is shaped like a very long scalene triangle: it’s deepest at the level of the nasoantorbital fenestra, but gradually tapers rostrally to a point.

Archive 2006-04-01 Darren Naish 2006