Pterodactylus

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Pterodactylus (TER-o-DACK-ti-lus) was a pterosaur, with a wingspan of about 50–75 cm (20–30 inches) (the smallest species Pterodactylus elegans - about 25 cm), that lived on lake shores during the Late Jurassic Period. It was a carnivore and probably preyed upon fish and other small animals. Like all pterosaurs, Pterodactylus's wing stretched from its last finger to its torso. It was supported internally by collagen fibres and externally by keratinous ridges. Fossils have been discovered in Europe and Africa.

Etymology and description

Pterodactylus kochi - Oxford University Museum of Natural History.

The name derives from the Greek words ptero (meaning 'winged') and dactyl (meaning 'finger') and refers to the way in which the wing is supported by one large finger.

The genus was originally named Ptero-dactyle by Georges Cuvier in 1809. In 1812, Soemmering named a specimen of the same species Ornithocephalus antiquus. As the senior name, Cuvier's name had precedence, so the holotype specimen became known as Ptero-dactyle antiquus, which was Latinized to the current name in 1815.

External links

The Dinosauricon's [cladogram]. (See also cladistics.)

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