A new and large monofenestratan reveals the evolutionary transition to the pterodactyloid pterosaurs.

For over a century, there was a major gap in our understanding of the evolution of the flying Mesozoic reptiles, the pterosaurs, with a major morphological gap between the early forms and the derived pterodactyloids. Recent discoveries have found a cluster of intermediate forms that have the head and neck of the pterodactyloids but the body of the early grade, yet this still leaves fundamental gaps between these intermediates and both earlier and more derived pterosaurs. Here, we describe a new and large Jurassic pterosaur, Skiphosoura bavarica gen.

Rostral and body shape analyses reveal cryptic diversity of Late Jurassic batomorphs (Chondrichthyes, Elasmobranchii) from Europe.

The fossil record of chondrichthyans (chimaeras, sharks, rays and skates) consists largely of isolated teeth, with holomorphic specimens being extraordinary exceptions. However, numerous of these more or less completely preserved specimens are known from several Upper Jurassic deposits of Europe, enabling detailed analysis of their morphology. Batomorphs (rays and skates) resembling modern guitarfishes and wedgefishes (Rhinopristiformes) are among the most common Jurassic chondrichthyans found, but they have been only sporadically studied up to now, resulting in large knowledge gaps concerning their taxonomy and phylogeny.