tapejarids

Tapejarids are a clade of pterosaurs in the family Tapejaridae, within the broader group Azhdarchoidea. They lived during the Early Cretaceous, roughly 125 to 100 million years ago, with fossil records in South America and Asia, particularly Brazil and China.

Anatomy and distinguishing features common to tapejarids include large skulls with short, broad beaks and often elaborate cranial crests. Many members are characterized by toothless beaks, though some early species bore teeth. Crest shapes vary by genus and are thought to have been used for display or species recognition. Their limb proportions and wing structure indicate powered flight, and they ranged from small to medium sizes among pterosaurs.

Fossil evidence comes from several formations in Brazil and China, including well-known finds from the Jiufotang Formation in China and the Santana/related deposits in Brazil. Notable genera include Tapejara, Tupuxuara, Caiuajara, and Sinopterus. Caiuajara dobruskii, described from Brazilian deposits, has provided important insight into possible colonial nesting behavior in tapejarids, suggesting social and reproductive behaviors in their ecosystems.

Ecology and feeding remain topics of research and debate. The combination of toothless beaks and cranial crests implies diverse feeding strategies, potentially including frugivory, omnivory, or feeding on small animals and crustaceans, with some variation among genera. The crests and beaks also point to sophisticated display-related behavior and intraspecific communication.

Taxonomically, tapejarids are placed within Tapejaridae, a member of Azhdahordoidea in many analyses, though precise relationships and subfamily divisions (such as Tapejarinae) have varied with different phylogenetic studies. As a result, the exact placement of taxa within Tapejaridae and their broader relationships continue to be refined.