Sinopterus dongi was a tapejarid pterosaur that lived during the early Cretaceous, around 120 million years ago, in a temperate forest in what is now northeastern China.
It's known from multiple specimens representing different life stages, with the largest fully mature individuals reaching a wingspan of about 1.9m (6'2"). Like other tapejarids it had a toothless parrot-like beak, and a low bony crest on its skull may have supported a larger soft-tissue structure.
A specimen with gut contents has been found showing evidence of plant matter and gastroliths, suggesting that Sinopterus was primarily herbivorous.
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References:
Jiang, Shunxing, et al. "First occurrence of phytoliths in pterosaurs—evidence for herbivory." Science Bulletin (2025). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scib.2025.06.040
Pêgas, Rodrigo V., et al. "A taxonomic revision of the Sinopterus complex (Pterosauria, Tapejaridae) from the Early Cretaceous Jehol Biota, with the new genus Huaxiadraco." PeerJ 11 (2023): e14829. https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.14829
Wang, Xiaolin, and Zhonghe Zhou. "A new pterosaur (Pterodactyloidea, Tapejaridae) from the Early Cretaceous Jiufotang Formation of western Liaoning, China and its implications for biostratigraphy." Chinese Science Bulletin 48.1 (2003): 16-23. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03183326
Wikipedia contributors. “Sinopterus” Wikipedia, 10 Jul. 2025, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sinopterus
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