宽颌辽西翼龙(翼龙目)的舌器以及其摄食行为的启示

在翼龙类不同的类群中其摄食行为是不同的,从其牙齿形状以及石化的胃容物来判断,其摄食行为包括食鱼类、食昆虫类、滤食水中小的水生生物、食螃蟹和蜗牛等带壳的动物,以及食水果类等。由于生存的需要,它们占据不同的生态灶,决定了其食物来源的不同。本文描述了宽颌辽西翼龙一件几乎完整、保存完好的与下颌在一起的舌器化石标本,并且它与现生蜥蜴类变色龙的舌器对比。它长的舌突与运用其舌的外翻来摄取食物的现生蜥蜴类-变色龙相类似,从而暗示了辽西翼龙可能具有类似的、用舌获取食物的行为,加上其独特的牙齿形态,进一步提出辽西翼龙是食昆虫类而不是食鱼的翼龙。

The Hyoid Apparatus of Liaoxipterus Brachycephalus (Pterosauria) and Its Implications for Food-catching Behavior

The feeding behavior of pterosaurs was varied in different groups. Judging by the tooth morphologies and fossilized stomach contents of pterosaurs, the feeding habits included fish-eating, insect-eating, filtering small aquatic organisms, eating shelled crabs and snails, and fruit-eating. Because of the need for survival, they occupied different ecological niches, which determined their different food sources. Herein described is an almost complete, well-preserved hyoid apparatus of Liaoxipterus brachyognathus in comparison with the hyoid apparatus of the modern lizard Chameleon. The long processus lingualis (processus entoglossus) is similar to that of the modern lizard Chameleon, which captures prey by tongue, implying that Liaoxipterus might share a similar lingual feeding behavior. This phenomenon, plus its special tooth morphology, further suggests that it was an insect-eating rather than fish-eating pterosaur.