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Thapunngaka; Temporal range: Lower Cretaceous, Upper Albian, 104.3–100.5 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N ↓
	Skeletal reconstruction of the Thapunngaka
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Order:	†Pterosauria
Suborder:	†Pterodactyloidea
Family:	†Anhangueridae
Tribe:	†Mythungini
Genus:	†Thapunngaka; Richards et al., 2021
Type species
	Thapunngaka shawi; Richards et al., 2021

Thapunngaka (IPA: [dɑːbuːnŋɑːrgɑːr] meaning "Spear Mouth" in Wanamara) is a genus of anhanguerid pterosaur recovered from the Early Cretaceous marine Toolebuc Formation in Queensland, Australia. Thapunngaka represents the largest pterosaur known from the Australian continent.^[1]^[2]^[3] The genus currently contains a single species, Thapunngaka shawi.

Discovery and naming

Thapunngaka was initially discovered in June 2011 within the Lower Cretaceous, Upper Albian Toolebuc Formation on Wanamara Country, North West Queensland, Australia by fossicker Mr. Len Shaw. It would later be excavated from the surrounding rock by the Kronosaurus Korner Museum. The genus would later be described in 2021 on the basis of the holotype KKF 494, representing only a partial mandible lacking dentition.^[2] Additionally, after the initial description the Kronosaurus Korner museum would later put the holotype of display for the general public.^[2]

The type species Thapunngaka shawi was described by Timothy Richards, Paul Stumkat and Steven Salisbury from the Kronosaurus Korner museum. The genus name Thapunngaka, incorporates words from the Wanamara, one of the Mayi languages spoken by the people of the Wanamara Nation, on whose Country the holotype was discovered. The generic name incorporates the words 'thapun' IPA: [dɑːbuːn] and 'ngaka' IPA: [ŋɑːrgɑːr], the Wanamara words for ‘spear’ and ‘mouth’, translating to "Spear Mouth" in the Wanamara language. The specific name shawi honors the discoverer of the holotype, Mr. Len Shaw. Therefore, the full name translates to ‘Shaw’s spear mouth’.^[1]

Description

The wingspan of Thapunngaka was estimated by a comparison with related species. It would be between 5.83 to 9.47 meters (19.1 to 31.1 ft), based on an extrapolation from Anhanguera piscator and Tropeognathus mesembrinus respectively. The lower jaws more strongly resembled those of A. piscator, from which it was concluded that a span of 6 to 7 meters (20 to 23 ft) was probable.^[1]

Classification

In its description, Thapunngaka was assigned within the subfamily Tropeognathinae of the family Anhangueridae, sister taxon to both Ferrodraco and Mythunga. The cladogram below shows a topology published by Richards and colleagues in 2021, which is based on a study by Borja Holgado and Rodrigo Pêgas in 2020:^[1]^[4]

Anhangueridae

Tropeognathinae

	Siroccopteryx

	Tropeognathus

	Mythunga

	Ferrodraco

	Thapunngaka

Coloborhynchinae

Aerodraco

Coloborhynchus

	Nicorhynchus

	Uktenadactylus

Anhanguerinae

	Caulkicephalus

	Guidraco

	Ludodactylus

Liaoningopterus

	Cearadactylus

	Maaradactylus

Anhanguera

In 2023, Richards et al. published a revised diagnosis of Thapunngaka where they also erected the clade Mythungini. The cladogram below has been reproduced from Richards et al., (2023). It shows the phylogenetic relationships between mythungins and other anhanguerids.^[5]