Rhamphorhynchus

Rhamphorhynchus
Temporal range: Late Jurassic (Tithonian),
Cast of the first specimen found with wing membranes, Musée de sciences naturelles de Bruxelles
Life restoration of R. muensteri
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Order: Pterosauria
Family: Rhamphorhynchidae
Clade: Rhamphorhynchini
Genus: Rhamphorhynchus
Meyer, 1846
Type species
Rhamphorhynchus muensteri
Münster, 1839
Species
  • R. muensteri
    (Goldfuss, 1831)
  • R. longicaudus
    (Meyer, 1846)
  • R. etchesi
    O'Sullivan & Martill, 2015
  • R. jessoni?
    Lydekker, 1890 (nomen dubium)
  • R. tendagurensis?
    Reck, 1931 (nomen dubium)
Synonyms
Genus synonymy
  • Ornithopterus
    Meyer, 1838
  • Odontorhynchus
    Stolley, 1936
  • Pteromonodactylus
    Teryaev, 1967
Synonyms of R. longicaudus
  • Pterodactylus longicaudus
    Münster, 1839
  • Ornithocephalus longicaudus
    (Münster, 1839)
  • Rhamphorhynchus (Odontorhynchus) longicaudus
    (Münster, 1839)
  • Odontorhynchus longicaudus
    (Münster, 1839)
Synonyms of R. muensteri
  • Ornithocephalus giganteus
    Oken, 1819 (nomen dubium)
  • Pterodactylus giganteus
    (Oken, 1819) (nomen dubium)
  • Pterodactylus grandis
    Cuvier, 1824 (nomen dubium)
  • Ornithocephalus grandis
    (Cuvier, 1824) (nomen dubium)
  • Rhamphorhynchus grandis
    (Cuvier, 1824) (nomen dubium)
  • Ornithocephalus muensteri
    Goldfuss, 1831
  • Pterodactylus muensteri
    (Goldfuss, 1831)
  • Pterodactylus (Rhamphorhynchus) muensteri
    (Goldfuss, 1831)
  • Pterodactylus lavateri
    Meyer, 1838
  • Ornithopterus lavateri
    (Meyer, 1838)
  • Pterodactylus (Ornithopterus) lavateri
    (Meyer, 1838)
  • Pterodactylus secundarius
    Meyer, 1843
  • Ornithocephalus secundarius
    (Meyer, 1843)
  • Pterodactylus gemmingi
    Meyer, 1846
  • Pterodactylus (Rhamphorhynchus) gemmingi
    (Meyer, 1846)
  • Ornithocephalus gemmingi
    (Meyer, 1846)
  • Rhamphorhynchus suevicus
    Fraas, 1855
  • Pterodactylus hirundinaceus
    Wagner, 1857
  • Pterodactylus (Rhamphorhynchus) hirundinaceus
    (Wagner, 1857)
  • Rhamphorhynchus hirundinaceus
    (Wagner, 1857)
  • Rhamphorhynchus curtimanus
    Wagner, 1858
  • Rhamphorhynchus longimanus
    Wagner, 1858
  • Rhamphorhynchus meyeri
    Owen, 1870
  • Rhamphorhynchus phyllurus
    Marsh, 1882
  • Pteromonodactylus phyllurus
    (Marsh, 1882)
  • Rhamphorhynchus longiceps
    Woodward, 1902
  • Rhamphorhynchus kokeni
    Plieninger, 1907
  • Rhamphorhynchus megadactylus
    Koenigswald, 1931
  • Rhamphorhynchus carnegiei
    Koh, 1937

Rhamphorhynchus (/ˌræmfəˈrɪŋkəs/,[1] from Ancient Greek rhamphos meaning "beak" and rhynchus meaning "snout") is a genus of long-tailed pterosaurs in the Jurassic period. Less specialized than contemporary, short-tailed pterodactyloid pterosaurs such as Pterodactylus, it had a long tail, stiffened with ligaments, which ended in a characteristic soft-tissue tail vane. The mouth of Rhamphorhynchus housed needle-like teeth, which were angled forward, with a curved, sharp, beak-like tip lacking teeth, indicating a diet mainly of fish; indeed, fish and cephalopod remains are frequently found in Rhamphorhynchus abdominal contents, as well as in their coprolites.[2]

Although fragmentary fossil remains possibly belonging to Rhamphorhynchus have been found in England, Tanzania, and Spain, the best preserved specimens come from the Solnhofen limestone of Bavaria, Germany. Many of these fossils preserve not only the bones but impressions of soft tissues, such as wing membranes. Scattered teeth believed to belong to Rhamphorhynchus have been found in Portugal as well.[3]

  1. ^ "Rhamphorhynchus". Lexico UK English Dictionary. Oxford University Press. Archived from the original on 2020-03-22.
  2. ^ Frey, E.; Tischlinger, H. (2012). "The Late Jurassic pterosaur Rhamphorhynchus, a frequent victim of the ganoid fish Aspidorhynchus?". PLOS ONE. 7 (3): e31945. Bibcode:2012PLoSO...731945F. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0031945. PMC 3296705. PMID 22412850.
  3. ^ Rhamphorhynchus. In: Cranfield, Ingrid (ed.). The Illustrated Directory of Dinosaurs and Other Prehistoric Creatures. London: Salamander Books, Ltd. Pp. 302-305.

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