Huaxiapterus

"Huaxiapterus" (meaning "Hua Xia [China] wing") is a genus of tapejarid pterodactyloid pterosaur from the Aptian-age Lower Cretaceous Jiufotang Formation of Chaoyang, Liaoning, China. It is the second genus of tapejarid from this formation, after Sinopterus, and may be more derived. Two species are known.

The type species of "Huaxiapterus" was H. jii, is based on GMN-03-11-001, a nearly complete skeleton and skull.[1] While it was initially separated from the closely related Sinopterus by several characters including its smaller size and larger crest, later studies showed that it was in fact more closely related to Sinopterus dongi than to either of the other two species of "Huaxiapterus".[2] Therefore, most researchers have since considered H. jii a species of Sinopterus, as Sinopterus jii. Because H. jii was the type species of its genus, Huaxiapterus is a junior synonym of Sinopterus and the other two species will be renamed in the future.[3]

The second species, ''"H." corollatus, is based on ZMNH M8131, another nearly complete skeleton from the same formation.[4] The third species "H." benxiensis'', based on specimen BXGM V0011, also comes from Liaoning.