Rhamphorhynchus (animal)
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 Rhamphorhynchus gemmingi
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Extinct (fossil)
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Rhamphorhynchus was a long-tailed pterosaur of the Jurassic period. Its name means 'beak jaw'. Only 17.5 cm (7 in) long but with a wingspan of 100 cm (3 ft), it was less specialized than the later pterodactyloids. It had a long tail stiffened with ligaments which ended in a diamond-shaped vane.
Rhamphorhynchus probably ate fish and it is believed that one of the ways it hunted was by dragging its beak in the water, catching fish and tossing them into its throat pouch, a structure similar to that of pelicans, which has been preserved in some fossils. This method of catching fish is found today in skimmers.
Although fossils have been found in England, the best preserved come from the Solnhofen quarry in Bavaria; many of these fossils preserve not only the bones but impressions of soft tissues such as the wings and tail.
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[edit] Species
There are three currently recognized species of Rhamphorhynchus:[citation needed]
- R. muensteri (Goldfuss, 1831) (type)
- R. jessoni Lydekker, 1890
- R. tendagurensis Peck, 1931
A number of additional species have been named, but are currently considered invalid:[citation needed]
- Rhamphorhynchus longicaudus (Muenster, 1839)
- Rhamphorhynchus gemmingi von Meyer, 1847
- Rhamphorhynchus phyllurus Marsh, 1882
- Pteromonodactylus phyllurus(Marsh, 1882)
- Rhamphorhynchus longiceps Woodward, 1902
- Odontorhynchus aculeatus Stolley, 1936
- Rhamphorhynchus intermedius Koh, 1937
[edit] Synonyms
- Pteromonodactylus Teriaev, 1967
- Odontorhynchus Stolley, 1936 non Pelzeln, 1868 (preoccupied)
- Ornithopterus von Meyer, 1860
- Ornithopterus muensteri (Goldfuss, 1831)
- Pterodactylus lavateri von Meyer, 1838
- Ornithopterus lavateri (von Meyer, 1838)
- Pterodactylus longicaudus Muenster, 1839
- Pteromonodactylus phyllurus(Marsh, 1882)
- Odontorhynchus aculeatus Stolley, 1936
- See also the disambiguation page for Rhamphorhynchus.
[edit] References
- Bennett, S. C. (1995). "A statistical study of Rhamphorhynchus from the Solnhofen Limestone of Germany: Year-classes of a single large species." Journal of Paleontology, 69: 569-580.
