biology

Otogopterus

Otogopterus is a biology topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Otogopterus rather than just read about it. In short: Otogopterus (meaning "Otog Banner wing") is a genus of pterosaur in the family Ctenochasmatidae, known from Early Cretaceous rocks in the Ordos region of Inner Mongolia, China (Luohandong Formation). It contains one species, O. haoae, named in 2020 by Ji Shu'an and Zhang Lifu.

Key takeaways

Otogopterus belongs to biology; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Otogopterus to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Otogopterus from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Otogopterus (meaning "Otog Banner wing") is a genus of pterosaur in the family Ctenochasmatidae, known from Early Cretaceous rocks in the Ordos region of Inner Mongolia, China (Luohandong Formation). It contains one species, O. haoae, named in 2020 by Ji Shu'an and Zhang Lifu. O. haoae is known from a partial lower jaw (the mandibular symphysis), which is long and straight, and bears a ridge on each side that divides the outer surface of the jaw. After Ordosipterus, Otogopterus is the second pterosaur known from the Ordos region.

Discovery and naming

The Ordos Basin of Inner Mongolia, China is considered an important record of the Early Cretaceous fauna of the country. During the 1980s, the Sino-Canadian Dinosaur Project carried out expeditions into the region and published numerous studies on dinosaurs and turtles found by the project. In addition to these remains, a 1993 study referenced the existence of pterosaurs fossils from the region. Dedicated research on these pterosaurs, however, failed to materialize, leaving an absence of definitive evidence of their presence. Years later, Ji Shu-an would discover new pterosaur fossils in the region. The first of these was a jawbone that was named by Ji in 2020 as Ordosipterus. The second was discovered near Zhaoshao Village, Mukainaoer Town; though little of the geologic strata was exposed and a lack of geologic landmarks was noted at the locality, the site is thought to belong to the middle section of the Luohandong Formation of the Zhidan Group. Later in November of 2020, the second jaw was named by Ji and Zhang Lifu as the new genus and species Otogopterus haoae. The generic name Otogopterus refers to the Otog Banner locality, where it was discovered, while the specific name haoae honours palaeontologist Hao Yichun, who contributed greatly to research of the stratigraphy of the region. The name bearing and only known specimen is a 9.8 centimetres (3.9 in) long dentary bone. It was identified as a member of the family Ctenochasmatidae.

Description Ctenochasmatid pterosaurs such as Otogopterus are known for their long snouts and elongate teeth arranged in a wide variety of different ways across various taxa. Otogopterus in particular possesses a very thin, elongate snout that is extraordinarily straight along the preserved portion. A unique combination of features distinguishes the taxon from other ctenochasmids. One of the most overt features are the ridges along its dentary. The sides of the bone each possess a prominent ridge that separates the edges into an upper and lower portion. The lower portions come together into an additional large ridge along the central bottom edge of the bone. The upper portion possessed at least 23 pairs of tooth sockets. Each socket was circular, with the distance between them equal to half a socket in width and three sockets per 1 centimetre (0.39 in) along the jaw in a straight line. Unlike in some other ctenochasmids such as Gnathosaurus, the tooth sockets do not appear to change in size along the length of the jaw. Though the teeth themselves are unknown, the placement and inner orientation of the sockets indicate they would have pointed forward and outward.

Palaeoecology The environment in which the only known specimen of Otogopterus was preserved is thought to have characterized by braided rivers.

References

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Otogopterus

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Otogopterus claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In biology, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Otogopterus before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Otogopterus ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Otogopterus

In research: Otogopterus appears in biology research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Otogopterus in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Otogopterus is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Cretaceous China, Cretaceous pterosaurs of Asia, Ctenochasmatidae, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Otogopterus outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Otogopterus in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Otogopterus means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Otogopterus out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Otogopterus in simple terms?

Why does Otogopterus matter?

Because it connects several biology ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Otogopterus?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Otogopterus.