Noripterus

Noripterus (meaning "lake wing" from Mongolian nuur, "lake" and Greek pteron, "wing") is a genus of dsungaripterid pterodactyloid pterosaur from Lower Cretaceous of Asia. The type species, Noripterus complidicens, is from the Wuerho Pterosaur Fauna (WPF) of the Lianmuqin Formation and Shengjinkou Formation in the Junggar Basin of Xinjiang, China. Both formations have seen various age estimates, with data suggest at least some of the WPF dates to the middle Valanginian, but the upper and lower bounds of these pterosaur bearing deposits remains unclear. It was first named by Yang Zhongjian (also known as C.C. Young in older sources) in 1973. The second species, Noripterus parvus, was recovered from the Tsagaantsav Formation of Mongolia.

==Description== left|thumb|220x220px|Artist's impression of Noripterus parvus The first, holotype specimen of Noripterus (IVPP V.4062, type locality IVPP 64045) preserved the front part of the skull and lower jaws, vertebrae, and partial limbs and pelvis and it was found in the Lianmuqin Formation. Noripterus was quite similar to the contemporaneous Dsungaripterus, though it was estimated to be a third shorter. It has long narrow neck vertebrae and, like Dsungaripterus, a crest and no teeth in the front of the lower jaw. The teeth that are present are well-developed and spaced fairly far apart. The sharp snout is straight and not pointed upwards as with Dsungaripterus.