North Korean anurognathid (Gao 2009) returns

Writing on Twitter (= X)
Dr David Hone wrote, “Good news, the North Korean anurognathid finally has a formal descriptions after 25 years. Bad news, it adds essentially no new information and the referral to Jeholopterus is questionable. It is not well preserved but so much more could be done with this.”

So KS, Kim PH and Won CG 2023 are co-authors of the new paper.
So much more WAS done with this specimen in 2022.

Figure 1. North Korean anurognathid pterosaur is virtually complete and articulated. Here the skull is repaired. ” data-image-caption=”

Figure 1. North Korean anurognathid pterosaur is virtually complete and articulated. Here the skull is repaired.

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Figure 1. North Korean anurognathid pterosaur is virtually complete and articulated. Here the skull is repaired.

Good news
This pterosaur was traced, reconstructed (Fig 1) and added to a large gamut phylogenetic analysis here in 2022. In the large pterosaur tree (LPT) the still unnamed North Korean flat-head, small-head pterosaur nested with Cascocauda.

From the So, Kim and Won abstract
“A nearly complete skeleton of a Mesozoic pterosaur, which probably belongs to Jeholopterus (Anurognathidae), was discovered in the third member of the Sinuiju Formation, Paektho-dong, Sinuiju City, North Phyongan Province, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK). This find documents the first pterosaur fossil from the Mesozoic of DPRK.”

Quoting Dr Hone again,
” It is not well preserved.”

Actually the specimen IS well preserved. See figure 1.
More details can be seen in the 2022 link below.

Unfortunately
Hone’s social media comment is indicative of academic attitudes across the pterosaur community. This is why independent researchers are sadly necessary.

Again unfortunately,
Dr. Hone has been responsible for a long list of misinterpretations and myths chronicled here.

References
Gao K-Q 2009. Early Cretaceous birds and pterosaurs from the Snuiju Series, and geographic extension of the Jehol Biota into the Korean Peninsula. J. Paleont. Soc. Korea 25(1:57-61.
So KS, Kim PH and Won CG 2023. First Articulated Rhamphorhynchoid Pterosaur from the Early Cretaceous of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. Paleontological Journal 57: S90–S94.doi: https://doi.org/10.1134/S003103012360018X
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1134/S003103012360018X

reptileevolution.com/anurognathids.htm

“Inaccessible” Early K anurognathid from North Korea traced and reconstructed