Dimorphodontidae

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Dimorphodontidae
Temporal range: Late Triassic – Early Jurassic
Restoration of Dimorphodon macronyx
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Order: †Pterosauria
Clade: †Macronychoptera
Family: †Dimorphodontidae
Seeley, 1870
Type species
Pterodactylus macronyx
Buckland, 1829

Dimorphodontidae is a family of early "rhamphorhynchoid" pterosaurs named after Dimorphodon, that lived in the Late Triassic to Early Jurassic.

A family Dimorphodontidae was named in 1870 by Harry Govier Seeley (as "Dimorphodontae") with Dimorphodon as the only known member.

In 2003 David Unwin defined a clade Dimorphodontidae, as the node clade consisting of the last common ancestor of Dimorphodon macronyx and Peteinosaurus zambellii and all its descendants. The defining species were the only dimorphodontids known. This group would be the most basal clade within Pterosauria with the exception of Preondactylus and the sister group of the Caelidracones within the Macronychoptera.[1]

According to Alexander Kellner, Dimorphodon is not closely related to Peteinosaurus and the concept would therefore be superfluous.

References

  • Seeley, H. G., 1870, "Remarks on Prof. Owen's Monograph on Dimorphodon", Annals and Magazine of Natural History, Series 4, 6:129

Notes

  1. ↑ Unwin, D. M. 2003. "On the phylogeny and evolutionary history of pterosaurs". In: Buffetaut, E. & Mazin, J.-M. (eds), Evolution and Palaeobiology of Pterosaurs. Geological Society, London, Special Publications 217: 139-190
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