| Ornithocheiroids Temporal range: Middle Jurassic - Late Cretaceous, 160–75 Ma |
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| Artist's restoration of Ornithocheirus mesembrinus | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | †Pterosauria |
| clade: | †Monofenestrata |
| Suborder: | †Pterodactyloidea |
| Superfamily: | †Ornithocheiroidea Seeley, 1870 |
| Type species | |
| Pterodactylus simus Owen, 1861 |
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| Subgroups | |
Ornithocheiroidea is an extinct group of pterosaurs within the suborder Pterodactyloidea.
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Ornithocheiroids, like other pterosaurs, are considered to have been skilled fliers as well as adept at moving on the ground. Evidence from footprints shows that most pterosaurs did not sprawl their limbs to a large degree, as in modern reptiles, but rather held the limbs relatively erect when walking, like dinosaurs. While no ornithocheiroid footprints are known, it is likely that they also walked erect.[1] Among pterosaurs, ornithocheiroids had unusually uneven limb proportions, with the forelimbs much longer than the hind limbs. This would likely have required them to use unique modes of locomotion when on the ground compared to other pterosaurs. It is possible that ornithocheiroids ran (but not walked) bipedally, or that they used a hopping gait.[1] Pterosaur researcher Mike Habib has noted that the limbs proportions of ornithocheiroids like Anhanguera are consistent with hopping.[2]
Listing of families after Unwin (2006), except where noted.
Cladogram after Unwin (2003).[4]
| Ornithocheiroidea |
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