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Pterosauria (pterosaur)

Reptilia -

Taxonomy

Pterosauria was named by Kaup (1834). It was considered monophyletic by Nesbitt (2011).

It was synonymized subjectively with Ornithosaurii by Bonaparte (1850); it was synonymized subjectively with Ornithosauria by Cope (1871); it was reranked as the family Pterosauria by Günther (1886); it was reranked as the subclass Pterosauria by Gadow (1898); it was corrected as Pterosauri by Hay (1902) and Jaekel (1910); it was reranked as the superorder Pterosauria by Olshevsky (1991); it was reranked as the unranked clade Pterosauria by Gardiner (1982), Sereno (1991) and Nesbitt (2011).

It was assigned to Rhamphosauria by Haeckel (1866); to Ornithosauria by Günther (1886); to Diapsida by Osborn (1903), Osborn (1903) and Osborn (1904); to Hyperosauria by Jaekel (1910); to Archosauromorpha by Huene (1954); to Reptilia by Mantell (1854), Owen (1861), Zittel (1890), Gadow (1898), Hay (1902), Swinton (1934), Kuhn (1946) and Estes (1964); to Archosauria by Kuhn (1966); to Archosauria by Kuhn (1964), Bakker and Galton (1974) and Thulborn (1975); to Aves by Gardiner (1982); to Archosauromorpha by Benton (1985); to Dinosauria by Bakker (1986); to Ornithosuchia by Gauthier et al. (1989); to Archosauria by Olshevsky (1991); to Ornithodira by Gauthier (1986), Benton (1990), Sereno and Arcucci (1990), Sereno (1991) and Novas (1996); to Archosauria by Roxo (1937), Carroll (1988) and Delsate and Wild (2000); and to Pterosauromorpha by Nesbitt (2011).

Subtaxa

Aidacharidae, Antipus, Archaeopteryx vicensensis, Arcticodactylus, Austriadactylus, Austriadraconidae, Campylognathoides indicus, Campylognathoididae, Caviramus, Daohugoupterus, Eurolimnornis, Eurolimnornis corneti, Laopteryx, Laopteryx priscus, Macronychoptera, Ornithocephalidae, Ornithocheirus hilsensis, Ornithocheirus nobilis, Ornithochirus, Palaeocursornis (syn. Eurolimnornis, Limnornis, Palaeolimnornis), Preondactylus, Ptenodactylus, Ptenodactylus brachyrhinus, Ptenodactylus capito, Ptenodactylus crassidens, Ptenodactylus dentatus, Ptenodactylus enchorhynchus, Ptenodactylus eurygnathus, Ptenodactylus macrorhinus, Ptenodactylus oxyrhinus, Ptenodactylus platystomus, Ptenodactylus polyodon, Ptenodactylus scaphorhynchus, Ptenodactylus tenuirostris, Pteraichnidae, Pteranodontes, Pterodactyli, Pterodactyloidea, Pterodactylus curtus, Pterodactylus hopkinsi, Pterodactylus huxleyi, Pterodactylus oweni, Pterodactylus primus, Pterodactylus suprajurensis, Rhamphorhynchoidea, Rhamphorhynchus jessoni, Rhamphorhynchus manselii, Rhamphorhynchus pleydellii, Scaphognathoidea, Scleromochlus, Seazzadactylus, Sharivopterygia, Tribelesodontoidea, Wukongopteridae

Sister taxa

Sharivopterygia

View classification of included taxa

Synonyms

Limnornis corneti was named by Kessler and Jurcsák (1984). Its type specimen is MTCO-P 1637, a limb element (distal fragment of a left femur), and it is a 3D body fossil.

It was recombined as Palaeolimnornis corneti by Jurcsák and Kessler (1985); it was recombined as Eurolimnornis corneti by Kessler (1987); it was recombined as Palaeocursornis corneti by Bock and Bühler (1996); it was considered a nomen dubium by Dyke et al. (2011) and Agnolin and Varricchio (2012).
Eurolimnornis was named by Kessler and Jurcsák (1986). It is not extant.

It was considered a nomen dubium by Dyke et al. (2011) and Agnolin and Varricchio (2012).

It was assigned to Eurolimnornithidae by Bock and Bühler (1996); and to Ornithurae by Hope (2002).
Pterodactylus nobilis was named by Owen (1870). Its type specimen is BMNH 36552, a limb element (Fragment of phalanx), and it is a 3D body fossil. Its type locality is "Wealden", 'Pterodactylus/Ornithocheirus nobilis' type site, which is in a Barremian terrestrial horizon in the Wessex Formation of the United Kingdom.

It was recombined as Ornithocheirus nobilis by Lydekker (1888), Newton (1889) and Van Den Broeck (1900); it was considered a nomen dubium by Martill et al. (1996), Howse et al. (2001), Steel et al. (2005) and Sweetman and Martill (2010).
Campylognathoides indicus was named by Jain (1974). Its type specimen is ISI R48, a partial skull (Fused premaxillae), and it is a 3D body fossil. Its type locality is Jurassic Pterosaur, Kota Fm.,, which is in a Toarcian/Aalenian terrestrial limestone in the Kota Formation of India.

It was considered a nomen dubium by Padian (2008).
Rhamphorhynchus jessoni was named by Lydekker (1890). It is a 3D body fossil. Its type locality is St Ives pterosaur, which is in an Oxfordian marine claystone in the Oxford Clay Formation of the United Kingdom.

It was considered a nomen dubium by O'Sullivan (2018).
Pterodactylus manselii was named by Owen (1874). Its type specimen is BMNH 41970, a limb element (Proximal humerus), and it is a 3D body fossil. Its type locality is Weymouth Kimmeridge Clay Formation (non-specific locality data), which is in a Kimmeridgian/Tithonian marine claystone in the Kimmeridge Clay Formation of the United Kingdom.

It was corrected as Pterodactylus manseli by Zittel (1890); it was recombined as Rhamphorhynchus manselii by Lydekker (1891); it was misspelled as Pterodactylus manseli by Delair (1958); it was considered a nomen dubium by Benton and Spencer (1995).
Pterodactylus pleydellii was named by Owen (1874). Its type specimen is BMNH 42378, a set of limb elements (distal humerus and wing phalanx), and it is a 3D body fossil. Its type locality is Weymouth Kimmeridge Clay Formation (non-specific locality data), which is in a Kimmeridgian/Tithonian marine claystone in the Kimmeridge Clay Formation of the United Kingdom.

It was recombined as Rhamphorhynchus pleydellii by Lydekker (1891); it was misspelled as Pterodactylus pleydelli by Delair (1958); it was considered a nomen dubium by Benton and Spencer (1995).
Pterodactylus suprajurensis was named by Sauvage (1873). It is not a trace fossil. Its type locality is Boulogne-sur-Mer (general), which is in a Kimmeridgian marine horizon in the Argiles de Châtillon Formation of France.

It was recombined as Rhamphorhynchus suprajurensis by Lydekker (1891) and Sauvage (1900); it was considered a nomen dubium by Knoll and Bouveur (2001).
Pterodactylus curtus was named by Owen (1870). Its type specimen is BMNH R.1440, a limb element (Partial tibia), and it is a 3D body fossil. Its type locality is Cuckfield (general) [BMNH], which is in a Valanginian/Hauterivian terrestrial horizon in the Tunbridge Wells Sand Formation of the United Kingdom.

It was recombined as Ornithocheirus curtus by Lydekker (1888) and Van Den Broeck (1900); it was considered a nomen dubium by Steel et al. (2005).
Pterodactylus oweni was named by Seeley (1864). It is not extant.

It was recombined as Ptenodactylus oweni by Seeley (1869); it was considered a nomen nudum by Unwin (2001).
Ornithocheirus hilsensis was named by Koken (1883). It is a 3D body fossil. Its type locality is Delligsen pterosaur, which is in a Neocomian marine shale in the Elligserbrink Shale Formation of Germany.

It was considered a nomen dubium by Barrett et al. (2008).
Pterodactylus hopkinsi was named by Seeley (1864). Its type locality is Cambridge Greensand [non-specific locality data], which is in an Albian open shallow subtidal marl in the West Melbury Marly Chalk Formation of the United Kingdom.

It was considered a nomen nudum by Unwin (2001).
Pterodactylus huxleyi was named by Seeley (1865). Its type locality is Cambridge Greensand [non-specific locality data], which is in an Albian open shallow subtidal marl in the West Melbury Marly Chalk Formation of the United Kingdom.

It was considered a nomen nudum by Unwin (2001).
Ptenodactylus polyodon was named by Seeley (1869). It is not extant. Its type locality is Cambridge Greensand [non-specific locality data], which is in an Albian open shallow subtidal marl in the West Melbury Marly Chalk Formation of the United Kingdom.

It was considered a nomen nudum by Unwin (2001).
Ptenodactylus scaphorhynchus was named by Seeley (1869). It is not extant. Its type locality is Cambridge Greensand [non-specific locality data], which is in an Albian open shallow subtidal marl in the West Melbury Marly Chalk Formation of the United Kingdom.

It was considered a nomen nudum by Unwin (2001).
Ptenodactylus macrorhinus was named by Seeley (1869). It is not extant. Its type locality is Cambridge Greensand [non-specific locality data], which is in an Albian open shallow subtidal marl in the West Melbury Marly Chalk Formation of the United Kingdom.

It was considered a nomen nudum by Unwin (2001).
Ptenodactylus brachyrhinus was named by Seeley (1869). It is not extant. Its type locality is Cambridge Greensand [non-specific locality data], which is in an Albian open shallow subtidal marl in the West Melbury Marly Chalk Formation of the United Kingdom.

It was considered a nomen nudum by Unwin (2001).
Ptenodactylus crassidens was named by Seeley (1869). It is not extant. Its type locality is Cambridge Greensand [non-specific locality data], which is in an Albian open shallow subtidal marl in the West Melbury Marly Chalk Formation of the United Kingdom.

It was considered a nomen nudum by Unwin (2001).
Ptenodactylus dentatus was named by Seeley (1869). It is not extant. Its type locality is Cambridge Greensand [non-specific locality data], which is in an Albian open shallow subtidal marl in the West Melbury Marly Chalk Formation of the United Kingdom.

It was considered a nomen nudum by Unwin (2001).
Ptenodactylus tenuirostris was named by Seeley (1869). It is not extant. Its type locality is Cambridge Greensand [non-specific locality data], which is in an Albian open shallow subtidal marl in the West Melbury Marly Chalk Formation of the United Kingdom.

It was considered a nomen nudum by Unwin (2001).
Ptenodactylus capito was named by Seeley (1869). It is not extant. Its type locality is Cambridge Greensand [non-specific locality data], which is in an Albian open shallow subtidal marl in the West Melbury Marly Chalk Formation of the United Kingdom.

It was considered a nomen nudum by Unwin (2001).
Ptenodactylus eurygnathus was named by Seeley (1869). It is not extant. Its type locality is Cambridge Greensand [non-specific locality data], which is in an Albian open shallow subtidal marl in the West Melbury Marly Chalk Formation of the United Kingdom.

It was considered a nomen nudum by Unwin (2001).
Ptenodactylus platystomus was named by Seeley (1869). It is not extant. Its type locality is Cambridge Greensand [non-specific locality data], which is in an Albian open shallow subtidal marl in the West Melbury Marly Chalk Formation of the United Kingdom.

It was considered a nomen nudum by Unwin (2001).
Ptenodactylus enchorhynchus was named by Seeley (1869). It is not extant. Its type locality is Cambridge Greensand [non-specific locality data], which is in an Albian open shallow subtidal marl in the West Melbury Marly Chalk Formation of the United Kingdom.

It was considered a nomen dubium by Unwin (2001).
Ptenodactylus oxyrhinus was named by Seeley (1869). It is not extant. Its type locality is Cambridge Greensand [non-specific locality data], which is in an Albian open shallow subtidal marl in the West Melbury Marly Chalk Formation of the United Kingdom.

It was considered a nomen nudum by Unwin (2001).
Archaeopteryx vicensensis was named by Lambrecht (1933).

It was considered a nomen vanum by Brodkorb (1978).
Pterodactylus primus was named by Deffner and Fraas (1859).

It was considered a nomen nudum by Dalla Vecchia (2013).
Laopteryx priscus was named by Marsh (1881). Its type specimen is YPM 1800, a partial skull (partial braincase), and it is a 3D body fossil. Its type locality is Quarry 9, Como Bluff (YPM), which is in a Kimmeridgian/Tithonian fluvial-lacustrine mudstone/sandstone in the Morrison Formation of Wyoming. It is the type species of Laopteryx.

It was corrected as Laopteryx prisca by Brodkorb (1971); it was considered a nomen dubium by Carpenter et al. (2003).
Ornithosauria was named by Bonaparte (1838). It is not extant.

It was corrected as Ornithosauri by Fitzinger (1843); it was corrected as Ornithosaurii by Bonaparte (1850); it was synonymized subjectively with Pterosauri by Hay (1902); it was synonymized subjectively with Pterosauria by Zittel (1890) and Kuhn (1966).

It was assigned to Rhizodonta by Fitzinger (1843) and Bonaparte (1850); to Sauropsida by Baur (1887); and to Reptilia by Cope (1871), Cope (1875), Günther (1886) and Woodward (1898).

Synonymy list

Year	Name and author
1834	Pterosauria Kaup
1838	Ornithosauria Bonaparte
1843	Ornithosauri Fitzinger p. 35
1850	Ornithosaurii Bonaparte p. 1
1854	Pterosauria Mantell p. 646
1859	Pterodactylus primus Deffner and Fraas
1861	Pterosauria Owen p. 270
1864	Pterodactylus hopkinsi Seeley
1864	Pterodactylus oweni Seeley
1865	Pterodactylus huxleyi Seeley
1866	Pterosauria Haeckel p. CXXXVIII
1869	Ptenodactylus brachyrhinus Seeley
1869	Ptenodactylus capito Seeley
1869	Ptenodactylus crassidens Seeley
1869	Ptenodactylus dentatus Seeley
1869	Ptenodactylus enchorhynchus Seeley
1869	Ptenodactylus eurygnathus Seeley
1869	Ptenodactylus macrorhinus Seeley
1869	Ptenodactylus oweni Seeley
1869	Ptenodactylus oxyrhinus Seeley
1869	Ptenodactylus platystomus Seeley
1869	Ptenodactylus polyodon Seeley
1869	Ptenodactylus scaphorhynchus Seeley
1869	Ptenodactylus tenuirostris Seeley
1870	Pterodactylus curtus Owen
1870	Pterodactylus nobilis Owen
1871	Ornithosauria Cope p. 234
1873	Pterodactylus suprajurensis Sauvage
1874	Pterodactylus manselii Owen
1874	Pterodactylus pleydellii Owen
1875	Ornithosauria Cope p. 12
1881	Laopteryx priscus Marsh
1883	Ornithocheirus hilsensis Koken p. 824
1886	Ornithosauria Günther p. 443
1886	Pterosauria Günther p. 444
1887	Ornithosauria Baur p. 101
1888	Ornithocheirus curtus Lydekker
1888	Ornithocheirus nobilis Lydekker
1889	Ornithocheirus nobilis Newton p. 260
1890	Rhamphorhynchus jessoni Lydekker
1890	Pterosauria Zittel pp. 450, 773–775
1890	Pterodactylus manseli Zittel p. 793
1890	Pterodactylus pleydelli Zittel p. 793
1890	Pterodactylus primus Zittel p. 793
1891	Rhamphorhynchus manselii Lydekker
1891	Rhamphorhynchus pleydellii Lydekker
1891	Rhamphorhynchus suprajurensis Lydekker
1898	Pterosauria Gadow p. 23
1898	Ornithosauria Woodward p. 141
1900	Rhamphorhynchus suprajurensis Sauvage p. 416
1900	Laopteryx priscus Van Den Broeck p. 72
1900	Ornithocheirus curtus Van Den Broeck p. 106
1900	Ornithocheirus nobilis Van Den Broeck p. 106
1902	Pterosauri Hay p. 506
1902	Laopteryx priscus Hay p. 518
1903	Pterosauria Osborn p. 276
1904	Pterosauria Osborn p. 114
1910	Pterosauri Jaekel p. 338
1933	Archaeopteryx vicensensis Lambrecht
1933	Laopteryx priscus Lambrecht p. 96
1934	Pterosauria Swinton p. 20
1937	Pterosauria Roxo p. 44
1946	Pterosauria Kuhn p. 66
1954	Pterosauria Huene p. 55
1958	Pterodactylus manseli Delair p. 70
1958	Pterodactylus pleydelli Delair p. 70
1958	Pterodactylus suprajurensis Delair p. 70
1964	Pterosauria Estes p. 145
1964	Pterosauria Kuhn p. 312
1966	Pterosauria Kuhn p. 107
1971	Laopteryx prisca Brodkorb p. 29
1974	Pterosauria Bakker and Galton p. 171
1974	Campylognathoides indicus Jain
1975	Pterosauria Thulborn p. 267
1978	Laopteryx priscus Brodkorb p. 224
1981	Laopteryx priscus Galton p. 1120
1982	Pterosauria Gardiner p. 229
1984	Limnornis corneti Kessler and Jurcsák p. 397
1985	Pterosauria Benton p. 154
1985	Palaeolimnornis corneti Jurcsák and Kessler p. 138
1986	Pterosauria Bakker pp. 459-460
1986	Pterosauria Gauthier
1986	Eurolimnornis Kessler and Jurcsák p. 289
1987	Eurolimnornis corneti Kessler p. 129
1988	Pterosauria Carroll
1989	Pterosauria Gauthier et al. p. 346
1990	Pterosauria Benton p. 13
1990	Pterosauria Sereno and Arcucci p. 39 fig. 7
1991	Pterosauria Olshevsky p. 59
1991	Pterosauria Sereno p. 34
1996	Palaeocursornis corneti Bock and Bühler p. 512
1996	Eurolimnornis Bock and Bühler p. 513
1996	Pterosauria Novas p. 737 fig. 10
2000	Pterosauria Delsate and Wild p. 7
2002	Eurolimnornis Hope p. 352
2006	Laopteryx priscus Chure et al. p. 236
2011	Pterosauria Nesbitt fig. 52

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Rank	Name	Author
kingdom	Animalia	()
—	Triploblastica
—	Nephrozoa
—	Deuterostomia
phylum	Chordata	Haeckel 1847
subphylum	Vertebrata
superclass	Gnathostomata
—	Osteichthyes	()
—	Sarcopterygii
subclass	Dipnotetrapodomorpha	(Nelson 2006)
subclass	Tetrapodomorpha	()
—	Tetrapoda	()
—	Reptiliomorpha
—	Anthracosauria
—	Batrachosauria	()
—	Cotylosauria	()
—	Amniota
—	Sauropsida

Rank	Name	Author
class	Reptilia
subclass	Eureptilia	()
—	Romeriida
—	Diapsida	()
—	Eosuchia	()
—	Neodiapsida
—	Sauria	Gauthier 1984
—	Archosauromorpha	(Huene 1946)
—	Crocopoda
—	Archosauriformes	Gauthier 1986
—	Eucrocopoda
—	Archosauria	()
informal	Avemetatarsalia
—	Ornithodira
—	Pterosauromorpha	Padian 1997
—	Pterosauria	(Kaup 1834)
—	Pterosauria	(Kaup 1834)

If no rank is listed, the taxon is considered an unranked clade in modern classifications. Ranks may be repeated or presented in the wrong order because authors working on different parts of the classification may disagree about how to rank taxa.

Diagnosis

Reference	Diagnosis
R. Owen 1861	Pectoral members, by the elongation of the antibrachium and fifth digit, adapted for flight. Vertebra procoelian; those of the neck very large, those of the pelvis small. Most of the bones pneumatic. Head large ; jaws long, and armed with teeth.
K. A. v. Zittel 1890	Körper vogelähnlich, von geringer oder massiger Grösse mit kurzem oder langem Schwanz. Wirbel und Extremitätenknochen hohl, pneumatisch. Hals kräftig, ziemlich lang, mit dem Schädel einen rechten Winkel bildend. Hals- und Rückenwirbel procöl. Schwanzwirbel amphicöl. Sacrum mit drei bis fünf Wirbeln. Vordere Rückenrippen zweiköpfig. Bauchrippen vorhanden. Schädel vogelartig mit zugespitztem Schnabel, Nähte undeutlich; Kiefer bezahnt oder zahnlos. Zähne in Alveolen. Quadratbein lang, unbeweglich. Seitliche Schläfenlöcher knöchern umgrenzt. Augenhöhlen meist mit Scleroticaring. Brustbein gross, schildförmig, vorne gekielt. Clavicula fehlt. Vorderfüsse durch starke Verlängerung des fünften Fingers, woran sich eine Flughaut anheftet als Flugorgan entwickelt. Tarsus mit zwei Reihen von Knöchelchen. Metatarsalia dünn, schlank; Hinterfüsse vier- bis fünfzehig. Hautnackt.