Noripterus

Noripterus
Temporal range:
Photograph (left) and drawing (right) of the pes of N. complicidens
Scientific classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Order: Pterosauria
Suborder: Pterodactyloidea
Family: Dsungaripteridae
Subfamily: Noripterinae
Andres et al., 2014
Genus: Noripterus
Young, 1973
Type species
Noripterus complicidens
Young, 1973
Other species
  • N. parvus
    (Bakhurina, 1982)
Synonyms
Genus synonymy
    • Phobetor
      Bakhurina, 1986
Synonyms of N. parvus
    • Dsungaripterus parvus
      Bakhurina, 1982
    • Phobetor parvus
      (Bakhurina, 1982)

Noripterus (meaning "lake wing" from Mongolian nuur, "lake" and Greek pteron, "wing") is a genus of dsungaripterid pterodactyloid pterosaur from Lower Cretaceous-age 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. Additional fossil remains have been recovered from Tsagaantsav Svita, Mongolia.