Mistralazhdarcho: a new pterosaur, but not an azhdarchid

Vullo et al. 2018 bring us a new small ‘azhdarchid’
known from a few 3D bones. In the large pterosaur tree (LPT, 237 taxa) Mistralazhdarcho nests with tiny Nemicolopterus and mid-sized Shenzhoupterus (Fig. 1). Mistralazhdarcho is more than twice as tall as Shenzhoupterus with similar gracile cervicals, a longer radius and shorter metacarpus. Distinct from Shenzhoupterus, the mandible is gracile, more like that of Nemicolopterus.

A downturned dentary
is a trait found in this clade of pterosaurs, and to a lesser extent in sister sinopterids.

The small prominence at the ‘bend’ of the mandible
in Mistralazhdarcho is a curious trait not visible in Shenzhoupterus due to closed jaws in situ. Nemicolopterus might preserve that trait, but a humerus is under the mandible exactly at that point, making it difficult to determine in photos.

A warped deltopectoral crest,
like the one found in Mistalazdarcho (Fig. 1), is not found in azhdarchids. And look at the size range in this clade!

Having reconstructions for direct comparisons,
and a large cladogram that is regularly adding new taxa are tools the LPT and www.ReptileEvolution.com offer freely online to paleontologists worldwide. Best to test here rather than trust your hunch elsewhere.

References
Vullo R, Garcia G, Godefroit P, Cincotta A, and Valentin X 2018. Mistralazhdarcho maggii, gen. et sp. nov., a new azhdarchid pterosaur from the Upper Cretaceous of southeastern France. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. DOI: 10.1080/02724634.2018.1502670.