TAPEJARA
Tapejara wellnhoferi (tap-E-jar-a well-N-hoe-fair-E) was a genus of pterosaur that lived during the early Cretaceous period, 121-112 million years ago, in South America. The genus name of Tapejara used to apply to three species of similar pterosaurs. However, recently two of the species have been reclassified under a new genus called Tupandactylus (two-pan-dak-tie-luss).
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Tapejara's skull is noticeably different from most pterosaurs. Most pterosaur skulls are long and narrow, with the jaws occasionally possessing cone shaped teeth, a design perfect for catching fish. These long jaws were often counter balanced by narrow crests on the back of the head. However, Tapejara's skull is short and somewhat broad, with a large vertical crest along the entirety of its skull. This has caused scientists to produce several different theories as to what Tapejara would have eaten and what this crest would have been used for.
CREST USAGE
The head crest of Tapejara has always been a puzzle to scientists as to what use it served. The aerodynamics would have hurt the creatures ability to fly more than it would have helped. The crest also offered no form of protection or defense. The only other explanation as to why Tapejara would have evolved this strange head crest is that it evolved as a sexual display structure. In the living animal, the males (right) most likely possessed large, brightly colored crests, while the females (left) would have had smaller, duller looking head crests. If this theory is correct, then it is possible that male Tapejara would have competed in dance contests, similar to some tropical birds today.
POSSIBLE DIET #1: FRUIT
It is possible that with its beak being similar to modern birds, Tapejara could have been a fruit eater or frugivore. This also would have allowed it to take advantage a food source not commonly used during its time period. There is even the possibility that this diet would have promoted a lack of adeptness at flight, enabling the large head crest to evolve.
POSSIBLE DIET #2: FISH
Tapejara also could have just had the typical pterosaur diet of fish. It did live in an environment that would have been coastal, with easy access to the ocean's bounty of fish.
POSSIBLE DIET #3: CARRION
The third dietary option, and the one that seems most likely to me, is that Tapejara was a scavenger, whose short, broad beak is similar in design to a hyenas jaws. A shorter beak would have given Tapejara more crushing power, enabling it to crack open bones to harvest the nutritious marrow inside.
EXTINCTION
It is not exactly clear why Tapejara went extinct. Perhaps it was out competed by other pterosaurs. Maybe its food source disappeared due to a change in climate. We may never know the answer.
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Image Credits
All images are screenshots taken by me in various video games. Below is a list detailing which image came from where. List is organized from top to bottom and left to right.
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Tapejara in flight taken in game: ARK: Survival Evolved
Tupandactylus female taken in game: Primal Carnage: Extinction
Tupandactylus male taken in game: Primal Carnage: Extinction
Tapejara on tree taken in game: ARK: Survival Evolved
Tupandactylus searching for fish taken in game: Primal Carnage: Extinction
Tupandactylus scavenging from hadrosaur taken in game: Primal Carnage: Extinction
Dead Tupandactylus on sea floor taken in game: Primal Carnage: Extinction