Alatoitumus

Alatoitumus is a fictional genus of winged reptiles created for speculative biology and science fiction settings. In many imagined taxonomies, it is placed within the archosaur lineage to illustrate the evolution of flight and wing structure in terrestrial vertebrates. The name is typically interpreted as combining a root implying wings with a term suggesting a robust skeletal framework.

In standard fictional treatments, Alatoitumus is known from fragmentary fossil material described as coming from a hypothesized Serpens Formation on the imagined continent of Nevarra. The holotype commonly includes partial forelimb elements, a pelvis, and scattered wing phalanges, with diagnostic features featuring elongated forelimbs, a broadened shoulder girdle, and a wing membrane supported by an enlarged styliform arm bone. Size estimates place the animal in the small-to-medium range for winged reptiles in its imagined ecosystem.

Ecology and behavior are described variably by authors, with common portrayals showing a terrestrial-to-arboreal lifestyle that utilizes wing membranes for gliding between trees and cliff faces. Some depictions suggest insectivory or small-vertebrate predation; flight is often portrayed as low-energy and highly maneuverable.

As a fictional taxon, Alatoitumus is used in encyclopedic and world-building contexts to explore questions about flight evolution, convergence, and the diversity of wing morphologies. It has no formal scientific description or fossil record in the real world; references appear in collaborative fictional wikis and speculative biology compilations.