Pterosauria Translation and Pronunciation Guide

Ben Creisler

Amblydectes Hooley 1914 "blunt biter"

am-bli-DEK-teez (Gr. amblys "blunt" + Gr. dektes "biter") (m) proposed for forms identified as "Ornithocheirus" with "beaks with strong lateral compression forming dorsal keel, triangular in section, truncated tip" [= Criorhynchus]

Angustinaripterus He, Yan & Su 1983 "narrow-nostriled wing"

ang-GUHS-ti-na-RIP-ter-us (Lat. angustus "narrow" + Lat. naris "nostril" + Gr. pteron "wing" + -us) (m) named for the very narrow shape of its nostrils. Rhamphorhynchoidea Rhamphorhynchidae M. Jur. China

Anhanguera Campos & Kellner 1985 "old devil"

ahn-yahn-GER-a (or ahn-yahn-GWER-a) (Anhanguera (from Tupi anhanga "devil" + nera "old")) (m) named for Anhanguera "old devil," a malignant spirit in the Tupi Indian culture native to the region of northeastern Brazil, where the fossil was found. Pterodactyloidea Anhangueridae E. Cret. SA.

Anurognathus Doederline 1923 "tailless jaw"

a-noo-ROG-na-thus (c.u.: a-NOOR-og-NAY-thus) (Gr. an- "not, without" + Gr. oura "tail" + Gr. gnathos "jaw" + -us) (m) alluding to the combination of a short tail (unusual for a rhamphorhynchoid pterosaur) and broad jaws likely designed for catching insects in flight. Rhamphorhynchoidea Anurognathidae L. Jur. Eur.

Arambourgiania Nessov & Borkin 1989 "for Arambourg"

a-rahm-BOOR-jee-AHN-ee-a (Arambourg + - ianus "belonging to" + -ia) (f) to honor Camille Arambourg (1885--1969), French vertebrate paleontologist and stratigrapher, who described the type specimen "Titanopteryx" philadelphiae Arambourg 1959 (a preoccupied generic name). The taxonomic status of this form is disputed, but Frey and Martill (1996) propose that the genus is definable, based on a plaster replica of the type cervical vertebra, as well on attributed material from the same rocks in northern Jordan; a gigantic form distinct from Quetzalcoatlus, with a wingspan that may have reached 12 meters. Pterodactyloidea Azhdarchidae L. Cret. Jordan

Araripedactylus Wellnhofer 1977 "Araripe (Brazil) finger"

ah-rah-REE-pay-DAK-ti-lus (Araripe + Gr. daktylos "finger") (m) named for the Araripe Plateau, northeastern Brazil, location of the Santana Formation. Pterodactyloidea E. Cret. SA.

Araripesaurus Price 1971 "Araripe (Brazil) lizard"

ah-rah-REE-pay-SAWR-us (Araripe + Gr. sauros "lizard") (m) named for the Araripe Plateau, northeastern Brazil, location of Santana Formation, where the fossil was found. Pterodactyloidea Ornithocheiridae E. Cret. SA.

Arthurdactylus Frey & Martill 1994 "Arthur's finger"

AHR-thuhr-DAK-ti-lus (Arthur + Gr. daktylos "finder") (m) named to honor Sir Arthur Conan Doyle "whose imaginative Lost World story inspired so many children"; for a form from South America (Brazil), where Doyles' fictional explorers found living pterodactyls in Venezuela. Pterodactyloidea ?Ornithocheiridae E. Cret. SA.

Austriadactylus Dalla Vecchia, Wild, Hopf & Reitner 2002 "Austrian finger"

AW-stree-uh-DAK-ti-lus (Austria + Gr. daktylos "finger") (m) named to indicate a pterosaur from Austria, where the specimen was found. Austriadactylus is a relatively large (estimated wingspan 1.2 m (4 ft)) Triassic rhamphorhynchoid pterosaur, known from a nearly complete articulated skeleton with skull (Holotype: SMNS 56342 (Staatliches Museum fuer Naturkunde Stuttgart, Germany), found in the Late Triassic (middle Norian) Seefelder Schichten, in an abandoned mine near Ankerschlag, Tyrol, northwest Austria. The 11 cm (4.4 in) long skull is remarkable for a thin bony sagittal crest that runs from the tip of the snout to above the orbits, with radial ridges at the highest portion at the tip of the snout. The teeth are strongly heterodont, differing in size and shape in different parts of the upper and lower jaws: the lower jaws have large conical teeth in the front, followed by small multicusped mandibular teeth, in groupings that differ in shape and number of cusps; the upper jaw has about five large teeth in the premaxillary; one or two large serrated cutting teeth with denticles in the very front of the maxillary, followed by blade-like middle maxillary teeth and triangular posterior maxillary teeth. The long tail lacks the elongated, rod-like stiffening bony processes (zygapophyses and hemapophyses) found on the tail bones of Jurassic rhamphorhynchoids.

Type Species: Austriadactylus cristatus [kris-TAY-tus] Dalla Vecchia, Wild, Hopf & Reitner 2002: "crested" referring to the bony crest that runs the length of its skull. Rhamphorhynchoidea Late Triassic (Norian) Europe [added 6-2002]

Azhdarcho Nessov 1984 "dragon"

ahzh-DAHR-koh (Uzbek azhdarkho "dragon") (m) from an Uzbek name for a mythical dragon; for a large pterosaur found in Uzbekistan. Pterodactyloidea Azhdarchidae L. Cret. CAs.

Batrachognathus Riabinin 1948 "frog jaw"

BAT-ra-KOG-na-thus (c.u..: BAT-ra-kog-NAY-thus) (Gr. batrakhos "frog" + Gr. gnathos "jaw" + -us) (m) referring to the broad frog-like shape of its jaws, indicating an insect-eating diet. Rhamphorhynchoidea Anurognathidae L. Jur. CAs.

Bennettazhia Nessov 1991 "Bennett's azhdarchid"

ben-e-TAH-zhee-a (Bennett + Azh(darcho) + -ia) (f) to honor S. Christopher Bennett, American paleontologist and pterosaur scholar; for "Pteranodon" oregonensis Gilmore 1928, based on a rather fragmentary specimen which Bennett (1989) suggested should be reclassified as an azhdarchid, a proposal Bennett (1994) has now retracted. Pterodactyloidea ?Azhdarchidae E. Cret. NA. [? nomen dubium]

Bogolubovia Nessov & Borkin 1989 "for N. Bobolubov"

BOH-guh-loo-BOH-vee-a (f) named to honor Nikolai Nikolaevich Bogolubov (1872--1928), Russian paleontologist, who described the type specimen "Ornithostoma" orientale Bogolubov 1914. Pterodactyloidea Pteranodontidae L. Cret. EEur. [?nomen dubium]

Brasileodactylus Kellner 1984 "Brazilian finger"

bra-SIL-ee-o-DAK-ti-lus (Brasileum + Gr. daktylos "finger") (m) named for Brazil, where the fossil was found (Araripe Plateau, Ceará state). Pterodactyloidea Ornithocheiridae E. Cret. SA.

Campylognathoides Strand 1928 "curved jaw form"

KAM-pi-LOG-na-THOI-deez (t.L.m.: KAM-pi-LOG-nath-o-IE-deez) (Camplognathus + (Gr. kampylos "curved, bent" + Gr. gnathos "jaw") + -oides "like, in form") (m) named for the curved tips of the jaws; to replace preoccupied Campylognathus Plieninger. Rhamphorhynchoidea Campylognathoididae E. Jur. Eur.

Campylognathus Plieninger 1895 "curved jaw"

kam-pi-LOG-na-thus (Gr. kampylos "curved, bent" + Gr. gnathos "jaw" + -us) (m) named for the curved tips of the jaws. (Preoccupied by Campylognathus Reuter 1890 (Hemiptera). See Campylognathoides) [= Campylognathoides]

Cearadactylus Leonardi & Borgomanero 1983 "Ceará (Brazil) finger"

say-ahr-ah-DAK-ti-lus (Ceará + Gr. dactylos "finger") (m) named for Ceará state, northeastern Brazil, where the fossil was found, on the Araripe Plateau. Pterodactyloidea Cearadactylidae E. Cret. SA.

Cimoliornis Owen 1846 "Cretaceous bird"

si-MOL-ee-OR-nis (Gr. kimolia "white chalky earth" [Cretaceous] + Gr. ornis "bird") (m) for remains (distal end of a metacarpal bone) originally mistaken for a Cretaceous bird. [= Ornithocheirus]

Coloborhynchus Owen 1874 "stunted snout"

KOL-o-bo-RING-kus (Gr. kolobos "stunted" + Gr. rhygkhos "snout" + -us) (m) named for the supposedly deep, blunt shortened form of the snout; the specimen was incomplete, and the snout was actually elongated with an expanded keel-like tip. [= Criorhynchus]

Comodactylus Galton 1981 "Como Bluff finger"

KOH-mo-DAK-ti-lus (Como + + Gr. dactylos "finger") (m) named for Como Bluff, Wyoming, where the fossil was found. Rhamphorhynchoidea L. Jur. NA.

Cretornis Fritsch 1881 "Cretaceous bird"

kree-TOR-nis (Gr. krete "Cretan earth, chalk" [Cretaceous] + Gr. ornis "bird") (m) for fossils originally mistaken for remains of a Cretaceous bird; reidentified as Ornithocheirus by Lydekker [= Ornithocheirus]

Criorhynchus Owen 1874 "ram snout"

KRIE-o-RING-kus (Gr. krios "battering ram" + Gr. rhygkhos "snout" + -us) (m) named for the deep blunt shape of the end of its snout, now known to be an expanded keel-like tip on a long beak. Pterodactyloidea Criorhynchidae E. Cret. Eur.

Ctenochasma von Meyer 1852 "comb jaws"

TEN-o-KAS-ma (Gr. ktenos (kteis) "comb" + Gr. khasma "wide opening; gape of the jaws") (n) named for the dense, comb-like arrangement of thin teeth in its jaws; originally described as a crocodile, based on an isolated skull. Pterodactyloidea Ctenochasmatidae L. Jur. Eur.

Cycnorhamphus Seeley 1870 "swan beak"

SIEK-no-RAM-fus (Gr. kyknos "swan" + Gr. rhamphos "beak") (m) referring to the somewhat flattened "swan-like beak" shape of its snout, later shown to be the result of crushing in the original fossil (Plieninger 1907); proposed for "Pterodactylus" suevicus. Wellnhofer (1978) referred the species to Gallodactylus, on the grounds that Seeley had not correctly diagnosed the taxon Cycnorhamphus, but Bennett (1995) pointed out that Seeley's generic name is available for purposes of nomenclature, whatever the flaws in his original description (supposed small nares, etc.), and that Gallodactylus should be considered a junior synonym. Pterodactyloidea Gallodactylididae L. Jur. Eur.

Dendrorhynchoides Ji S., Ji Q. & Padian 1999 "tree-of-Rhamphorhynchus form"

DEN-dro-ring-KOY-deez (Gr. dendron "tree" + (Rhampho)rhynchus (Gr. rhygkhos "snout") + -oides "like, form") (m) replacement name for preoccupied Dendrorhynchus Ji S. & Ji Q. 1998 "tree-of-Rhamphorhynchus," named to indicate its supposed close similarity and taxonomic relationship to the genus Rhamphorhynchus. Redescription of the specimen (Unwin, Lu & Bakhurina 2000) indicates that it is based on the fossil of a short-tailed anurognathid, apparently doctored to add part of a long tail (perhaps from a small theropod dinosaur)--thus the taxon is not closely related to Rhamphorhynchus and the genus name is a misnomer. Dendrorhynchoides is a small pterosaur with a wingspan of around 40-50 cm (16-18 in.), known from a fairly complete skeleton with a disarticulated skull (Holotype: GMV2128 (National Geological Museum of China, Beijing)), found in the Early Cretaceous (?Barremenian) Yixian Formation (Chaomidianzi), Sihetun area near Beipiao, western Liaoning Province, northeastern China. The skull is very short and broad, lightly constructed with large cranial openings. The true tail is short (about 15-20 mm long), and slightly tapering, consisting of 6 to 8 small caudals that form a pygostyle-like structure. The original association of a supposed long tail with the remains led to claims that the lower Liaoning Beds must be Late Jurassic in date--or that Dendrorhynchoides could represent a relict rhamphorhynchid that survived into the Early Cretaceous. Reidentification of the animal as a short-tailed anurognathid and more accurate dating of the Liaoning Beds to the Early Cretaceous indicates that anurognathids survived beyond the Late Jurassic.

Type Species: Dendrorhynchoides curvidentatus [kuhr-vi-den-TAY-tuhs] (Ji S. & Ji Q. 1998) "curved teeth": referring to the long curved teeth in its jaws. Rhamphorhynchoidea Anurognathidae Early Cretaceous (? Barremian) China [revised 9/2001]

Dendrorhynchus Ji S. & Ji. Q. 1998 "tree-of-Rhamphorhynchus"

DEN-dro-RING-kuhs (Gr. dendron "tree" + (Rhampho)rhynchus (Gr. rhygkhos "snout")) (m) "the generic name signifies that the new genus has a close similarity to the genus Rhamphorhynchus"; preoccupied by Dendrorhynchus Keilin 1920. (See Dendrorhynchoides). [= Dendrorhynchoides]

Dermodactylus Marsh 1881 "skin finger"

DER-mo-DAK-ti-lus (Gr. derma "skin" + Gr. daktylos "finger) (m) referring to the skin forming the wing of pterosaurs; for a partial wing metacarpal bone. Pterodactyloidea L. Jur. NA. [nomen dubium]

Dimorphodon Owen 1859 "two-form tooth"

die-MOR-fo-don (Gr. di- two + Gr. morphe "form" + Gr. odon "tooth") (m) named for its two distinct forms of teeth: large conical stabbing teeth in the front of the jaws, typical of reptiles, and tiny pointed teeth behind, "borrowed, as it were, from the fish or batrachians" according to Owen. Rhamphorhynchoidea Dimorphodontidae E. Jur. Eu.

Diopecephalus Seeley 1871 "two-opening head"

DIE-o-pee-SEF-a-lus (Gr. di- "two" + Gr. ope "opening" + Gr. kephale "head" + -us) (m) named for the construction of the skull: "in this genus the middle hole of the skull is entirely wanting." Pterodactyloidea Pterodactylidae L. Jur. Eur. [= ? Pterodactylus]

Domeykodactylus Martill, Frey, Chong Diaz & Bell 2000 "Domeyko (Cordillera) finger"

doh-MAY-ko-DAK-ti-luhs (Domeyko + Gr. daktylos "finger") (m) named to indicate a pterosaur found in the Cordillera de Domeyko mountain range in the Chilean Andes. Domeykodactylus is a relatively small dsungaripterid known from an incomplete mandible with portions of the left and right rami and symphysis (Holotype: 250973 (Departmento de Ciencias Geologicas at the Universidad Catolica del Norte, Antogafasta, Chile)); part of a crested premaxilla found in the same piece of rock is referred to the same taxon. The fragmentary specimens were found at Quebrada La Carreta, Sierra da Candeleros, Segunda Region de Antofagasta, Chile, and were originally assigned to the filter-feeding pterosaur Pterodaustro. However, structures first thought to be remains of fine, elongated teeth on a mandible are now recognized as striations from a sagittal crest running along the top of the premaxilla. A prominent grooved crest along the top of the snout is characteristic of dsungartipterids, and probably supported a fiber-strengthened soft-tissue extension in life. Presumed small conical teeth (not preserved) in the dentary of the lower jaw are set in raised, expanded alveoli, another feature characteristic of the family Dsungaripteridae. The 16 alveolar protuberances in the mandible of Domeykodactylus are low and narrow, unlike the high and rounded alveolar protuberances in the lower jaw of Dsungartipterus itself. Assuming it resembled other known dsungaripterids, Domeykodactylus probably had a wingspan of around 1 m (3.3 ft) with a skull about 30 cm (1 ft) long if a bony crest projected from the back. Domeykodactylus is the first confirmed member of the Dsungaripteridae found in South America, and appears to date from the Early Cretaceous.

Type Species: Domeykodactylus ceciliae [say-SEE-lee-ee]: for Cecilia Damargasso, who was kind to the researchers. Pterodactyloidea Dsungaripteroidea Dsungaripteridae Early Cretaceous SA [added 7/2000]

Doratorhynchus Seeley 1875 "spear snout"

DOR-a-to-RING-kus (Gr. dorat- (dory) "spear" + Gr. rhygkhos "snout" + -us) (m) named for its "compressed, elongated, many-toothed, spear-shaped jaw." The extremely long neck vertebrae indicate a possible early azhdarchid. Pterodactyloidea Azhdarchidae E. Cret. Eur.

Dorygnathus Wagner 1860 "spear jaw"

do-RIG-na-thus (c.u.: DOR-ig-NAY-thus) (Gr. dory "spear" + Gr. gnathos "jaw" + -us) (m) named for the spear-like toothless point at the tip of the lower jaw. Rhamphorhynchoidea Rhamphorhynchidae E. Jur. Eur.

Dsungaripterus Young 1964 "Junggar Basin wing"

jung-gah-RIP-ter-us (or dzung-gah-RIP-ter-us) (c.u.: JUNG-gahr-i-TER-us) (Dsungar (= Chin. Junggar) + Gr. pteron "wing" + -us) (m) named for the Junggar Basin, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, China, where the fossils were found. Pterodactyloidea Dsungaripteridae E. Cret. China.

Eosipterus Ji Shu'an & Ji Qiang 1997 "eastern (China) wing"

ee-oh-SIP-ter-us (Gr. eos, "east; dawn" + Gr. pteron "wing" + -us) (m) named to indicate "a pterosaur from the eastern part of China"; for a medium-sized pterodactyloid (1.2 m. wingspan) found in Liaoning Province, northeast China. The specimen is part of the famous Jehol fauna found in ancient freshwater lake sediments, but unlike some other exquisitely preserved finds of birds and dinosaurs from the site, the pterosaur type material is incomplete and lacks the skull and neck bones, the most important diagnostic parts. The new form has not been assigned to a family at present. Pterodactyloidea E. Cret. (?L. Jur.) China

Eudimorphodon Zambelli 1973 "true two-form tooth"

yoo-die-MOR-fo-don (Gr. eu- "good, true" + Dimorphodon (Gr. di- "two" + Gr. morphe "form" + Gr. odon "tooth")) (m) named to indicate a form older than Dimorphodon, the previously oldest known pterosaur. First classified in the family Dimorphodontidae, it had teeth were even more different from each other in form than those of Dimorphodon: In addition to sharp conical teeth in the front of the jaws, typical of other known toothed pterosaurs, Eudimorphodon had teeth with from three to five cusps, similar in form to those of some mammals. Rhamphorhynchoidea Eudimorphodontidae L. Trias. Eur.

Gallodactylus Fabre 1974 "Gallic finger"

GAL-o-DAK-ti-lus (Lat. gallus "a Gaul" [ancient inhabitant of France] + Gr. daktylos "finger") (m) named to indicate a fossil pterosaur found in Canjuers, southern France. [= Cycnorhamphus]

Geosternbergia Miller 1978 "for Geo. Sternberg"

JEE-oh-stern-BERG-ee-a (Geo(rge) + Sternberg + -ia) (f) named to honor George Fryer Sternberg (1883-1969) fossil hunter, who found the type specimen in 1952; proposed as a subgenus by Miller for Pteranodon sternbergi Harksen 1966, and considered a possible definable genus by a few researchers. Bennett (1994) recognized it only as a diagnosable species of Pteranodon. (To replace preoccupied Sternbergia Miller) [= Pteranodon]

Germanodactylus Young 1964 "German finger"

jer-MAN-o-DAK-ti-lus (Lat. germanus "a German" + Gr. daktylos "finger") (m) named to indicate a form found in Solnhofen, Germany. Pterodactyloidea Germanodactylidae L. Jur. Eur. [= Pterodactylus]

Gnathosaurus von Meyer 1833 "jaw lizard"

NATH-o-SAWR-us (Gr. gnathos "jaw" + Gr. sauros "lizard") (m) alluding to the dense arrangement of narrow teeth in its jaws; originally misidentified as a crocodile based on part of an isolated skull. Pterodactyloidea Ctenochasmatidae L. Jur. Eur.

Haopterus Wang & Lü 2001 "Hao's wing"

HOWP-te-rus (Hao + Gr. pteron "wing" + -us) (m) for a pterosaur dedicated to Hao Yichun, "a distinguished Chinese paleontologist who has contributed significantly to the study of the Jehol Biota." Haopterus is a medium-sized pterodactyloid (est. wingspan 1.35 m (4.5 ft)) known from a fairly complete skeleton of a subadult, including a complete skull, pectoral girdle, forelimbs, sternum, cervical and dorsal vertebrae, and metatarsals and digits (Holotype: IVPP V11726 (Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Beijing)), found in the Early Cretaceous (?Barremian) Jianshangou Bed of the lower Yixian Formation at Sihetun, Shangyuan, Beipiao, western Liaoning Province, northeast China. The skull lacks a bony crest and is long and low, with a pointed rostrum. The upper and lower jaws have 12 relatively short, sharp pointed teeth on each side, mostly inclined backward; the posterior part of the jaws is toothless. The sternum is fan-shaped. The long metacarpals in the hands are nearly equal in length to metatarsals in the feet. The tarsals and digits of the hindfeet are very reduced in size, suggesting Haopterus probably walked on all fours while on the ground. The long pointed skull and sharp, slender teeth suggest it preyed on fish. Wingspan up to 1.35 m (4.5 ft); skull 14.5 cm (6 in) long.

Type Species: Haopterus gracilis [GRAS-i-lis] Wang & Lu 2001 "slender": to reflect "both the beautiful preservation and the tiny metatarsals of the holotype." Pterodactyloidea Pterodactylidae? (or Anhangueridae?) Early Cretaceous (?Barremian) China [added 9-2001]

Hatzegopteryx Buffetaut, Grigorescu & Csiki 2002 "Hatzeg wing"

haht-se-GOP-te-riks (Hatzeg + Gr. pteryx "wing") (f) named to indicate a pterosaur from the Hatzeg basin in Transylvania. Hatzeogpteryx is a huge azhdarchid (est. 12+ m (40+ ft) wingspan) known from parts of the back of a skull (occiput and right suspensorium (jugal, pterygoid, quadrate, quadratojugal bones) with parts of the palate attached), and an incomplete left humerus plus bone fragments (Holotype: FGGUB R1083 (Palaeontological Collection of the Faculty of Geology and Geophysics of the University of Bucharest)), found in the Late Cretaceous (Late Maastrichtian) Densus-Ciula Formation, at Valioara, northwestern Hatzeg Basin, Transylvania, Romania. The skull is very robust and posteriorly broad, and may have been up to 3 m (10 ft) long in life; the skull's internal bone structure is unique among pterosaurs, consisting of a dense network of very thin trabeculae enclosing small alveoli--a construction resembling expanded polystyrene and evidently providing both strength and lightness for the huge head, which otherwise might have been too heavy to allow the animal to fly. The jaw articulation resembles that of Pteranodon, with smoothly rounded helical condyles on the quadrate. The humerus, however, has a large wing-shaped deltopectoral crest, and is very similar to that of Quetzalcoatlus, indicating the new form is an azhdarchid. It likely lived in a more inland freshwater environment.

Type Species: Hatzegopteryx thambema [tham-BEE-muh] Buffetaut, Grigorescu & Csiki 2002: "monster" (Greek): "alluding to the monstrous size of this pterosaur." Pterodactyloidea Azhdarchidae Late Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) Europe [added 6-2002]

Herbstosaurus Casamiquela 1974 "Herbst's lizard"

HERP-sto-SAWR-us (Herbst + Gr. sauros "lizard") (m) named to honor R. Herbst, Argentine fossil collector who discovered the specimen; first described as a Compsognathus-like dinosaur. Pterodactyloidea M. Jur. SA.

Huanhepterus Dong 1982 "Huan River (China) wing"

hwahn-HUHP-ter-us (c.u.: HWAHN-huhp-TER-us) (Chin. Huan + Chin. he "river" + Gr. pteron "wing"+ -us) (m) named for the Huanhe (Huan River), in Gansu Province, China, the region where the fossil was found. Pterodactyloidea Dsungaripteridae L. Jur. China

Istiodactylus Howse, Milner & Martill 2001 "sail finger"

IS-tee-o-DAK-ti-lus (Gr. istion "sail" + Gr. daktylos "finger")* (m) named for the sail-like construction of pterosaur wings with skin stretched along a finger ("descriptive of the wing of a large pterosaur"); new name for "Ornithodesmus" latidens Seeley 1901. Istiodactylus is a large pterodactyloid (est. wingspan 5 m (17 ft)) based on a poorly preserved skeleton (Holotype: BMNH R176 (British Museum of Natural History)) including the back part of a skull, a sternum, a sacrum and a right humerus, plus two referred specimens (BMNH R3877, BMNH R3878), found in the Early Cretaceous (Barremian-Aptian) Vectis Formation, Isle of Wight, United Kingdom. The skull is estimated to around 56 cm (23 in) long (perhaps longer) and is unlike that of any other described pterosaur: the beak section is elongated with a short section in front of the nostrils that forms a heavily built blunt tip; there is a very long combined nasal opening and antorbital fenestra; the orbit connects downward with a long narrow opening. The petal-shaped teeth are restricted to the front part of the jaws beyond the nostrils, and are wide and compressed with sharp, razor-edged crowns--they interlock when the tips of the upper and lower jaws are shut together, with 24 upper teeth and 25 lower preserved. The sternum has a primitive appearance, with saddle-shaped facets for the coracoid. The unusual sharp, interlocking teeth and the heavy blunt tip of the jaws suggest Istiodactylus could remove chunks of meat from prey or carrion with "cookie-cutter" bites, or by biting then twisting its long head. Istiodactylus material was originally misattributed to the genus Ornithodesmus ("bird link"), a taxon based on a sacrum now identified as that of a theropod dinosaur but once mistakenly thought to be belong to a pterosaur--the true pterosaur remains later misidentified as "Ornithodesmus" thus needed a new name.

Type Species Istiodactylus latidens [LAT-i-denz] (Seeley 1901) "broad tooth": referring to the wide and compressed petal-shaped teeth; for "Ornithodesmus" latidens Seeley 1901. Pterodactyloidea Istiodactylidae Early Cretaceous (Barremian-Aptian) Eur. [added 9-2001]

Jeholopterus Wang, Zhou, Zhang & Xu 2002 "Jehol wing"

juh-ho-LOP-te-rus (Jehol + Gr. pteron "wing" + - us) (m) named to indicate a pterosaur from the Jehol Group of geologic formations in northeast China. Jeholopterus is a moderate-size (90 cm (3 ft) wingspan) pterosaur known from a nearly completely articulated skeleton preserved with wing membrane and "hair" impressions (Holotype: V12705 (Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Beijing), found in the Early Cretaceous (Barremian?) Lower Yixian Formation (Jehol Group) lake deposits at Daohugou, Ningcheng County, in Inner Mongolia, northeastern China. Jeholopterus is the largest known anurognathid (about twice as large as most other members of the family), and has a short tail, and wide and short skull similar to other anurognathids; it is distinct from most other forms in having a high skull wider than long. Its broad, frog-like jaws have mainly short, peg-like teeth, indicating it probably hunted insects in the air; it also has some long and curved teeth suggesting it could catch fish as well. It wings are extremely long, narrow at the tips, with a wing membrane (cheiropatagium) that attached to both sides of the legs as far as the ankles; long fibers reenforce the wing skin and a propatagium of skin stretches across the front edge of the wings along the humerus and ulna to the wrist. The type specimen clearly shows a uropatagium (skin structure between the back legs), which apparently was attached to the thin, elongated fifth toe on the back feet, perhaps to control maneuvering and braking in flight. The hind feet have webbing between the toes, with short reinforcing fibers similar to longer fibers embedded in the wing and uropatagium. Jeholopterus has a covering of short, curved, hair-like fibers (tapering from base to tip) on its body from its neck to its tail. The claws on the first three digits of the hand are extremely long, as well as sharp and curved; the claws on the four back toes are about 2/3 as long as the wing claws. A photo of the specimen with a reconstruction can be seen at: http://www.scichina.com/ky/0203/2kyfm03.stm.

Type Species: Jeholopterus ningchengensis [ning- chuhng-EN-sis] Wang, Zhou, Zhang & Xu 2002: "from Ningcheng" County, Inner Mongolia, China. Rhamphorhynchoidea Anurognathidae Early Cretaceous (Barremian?) China [added 6-2002]

Kepodactylus Harris & Carpenter 1996 "garden finger" ("Garden Park finger")

KEE-po-DAK-ti-lus (Gr. kepos "garden" + Gr. daktylos "finger") (m) alluding to Garden Park, Colorado, type location for the fossils of a large pterodactyloid with an estimated wingspan of 2.5 meters. Pterodactyloidea L. Jur. NA.

Laopteryx Marsh 1881 "fossil wing"

lay-OP-ter-iks (Gr. laos "stone" + Gr. pteryx "wing")* (f) named to indicate an apparent fossil bird found in a quarry at Como Bluff, Wyoming; based on part of a skull, supposedly belonging to an animal rather larger than a blue heron; now identified as remains of a pterosaur (Ostrom 1986) too fragmentary to identify at a family level. Pterosauria NA. [nomen dubium]

Lonchodectes Hooley 1914 "lance biter"

LONG-ko-DEK-teez (Gr. logkhos "lance" + Gr. dektes "biter") (m) proposed for forms of "Ornithocheirus" with "beaks lanceolate and pointed" [= Ornithocheirus]

Longicepia Miller 1972 "long-headed one"

lon-ji-SEP-ee-a (Lat. longiceps "long-headed" + -ia) (f) proposed as a subgenus for Pteranodon longiceps, the type species; the rules of nomenclature make the name a junior objective synonym of Pteranodon, however. [= Pteranodon]

Mesadactylus Jensen & Padian 1989 "mesa finger"

MAY-sa-DAK-ti-lus (Span. mesa "table" + Gr. daktylos "finger") (m) named for the Dry Mesa locality, Morrison Formation, Colorado, where the type specimen material (synsacrum plus attributed post-cranial material) was found. Pterodactyloidea L. Jur. NA.

Montanazhdarcho Padian, de Ricqles & Horner 1995 "Montana dragon"

mon-TAN-ahzh-DAHR-ko (Montana (from Latin montanus "mountainous") + Uzbek azhdarkho "dragon") (m) named to indicate a small azhdarchid from the Two Medicine Formation of Montana. Pterodactyloidea Azhdarchidae L. Cret. NA

Nesodactylus Colbert 1969 "island finger"

NEE-so-DAK-ti-lus (Gr. nesos "island" + Gr. daktylos "finger") (m) alluding to the island of Cuba, where the fossil was found. Rhamphorhynchoidea L. Jur. Cuba

Noripterus Young 1973 "lake wing"

no-RIP-ter-us (c.u.: NOR-ip-TER-us) (for Mongolian nuur "lake" + Gr. pteron "wing" + -us) (m) alluding to the Junggar Basin, in northwestern China, which was filled by a large lake during the Early Cretaceous; the specimen was found in the Urhe region of the Junggar Basin in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region of China. Pterodactyloidea Dsungaripteridae E. Cret. CAs.

Normannognathus Buffetaut, J.-J. Lepage & G. Lepage 1998 "Normandy jaw"

nor-MAN-og-NAY-thus or nor-ma-NOG-na-thus (Normannia + Gr. gnathos "jaw" + -us) (m) name derived from Normannia, the Medieval Latin name for Normandy; for a pterodactyloid pterosaur known from the anterior parts of an upper jaw and associated mandible found in Kimmeridigian marine clay (Argiles d'Ecqueville) in the cliffs of Cap de la Heve, near Le Havre, Normandy, France. The upper jaw curves slightly upward and has teeth that continue to the tip. A tall, flat, bony crest rises further back along the top of the jaw fragment. The shape of the crest is reminiscent of Dsungaripterus, and is much higher than in Germanodactylus, a genus that appears closely related to Normannognathus in other details. (The authors classified the new species in the family Germanodactylidae. However, Bennett (1996) has proposed that the crested genus Germanodactylus is simply an adult form of Pterodactylus. If so, the family should be called Pterodactylidae.)

Type species: Normannognathus wellnhoferi [veln-HOF-er-ie] Buffetaut, J.-J. Lepage & G. Lepage 1998; "in honour of Dr. Peter Wellnhofer (Munich), a great expert on pterosaurs, and a great friend of the senior author."

Pterodactyloidea Pterodactylidae (Germanodactylidae) Late Jurassic (Kimmeridgian) Eur. [entry added 11-98]

Nyctodactylus Marsh 1881 "night (= bat) finger"

NIK-to-DAK-ti-lus (Gr. nykt- (nyx) "night" + Gr. daktylos "finger")* (m) unnecessary replacement name for supposedly preoccupied Nyctosaurus Marsh. [= Nyctosaurus]

Nyctosaurus Marsh 1876 "night (= bat) lizard"

NIK-to-SAWR-us (Gr. nykt- (nyx) "night" + Gr. sauros "lizard")* (m) alluding to its resemblance to a bat (Gr. nykteris "bat" literally, "nocturnal one"). Marsh (1877) (in Johnson's Universal Cyclopaedia) says of pterodactyls in general: "The anterior limbs were adapted for flight by the elongation of the fore arm, and fifth [correctly, the fourth!] or outer digit...By this means an expanse of membrane was supported as in the bats, which these animals in some respects resembled." Marsh later mistakenly thought the name Nyctosaurus was preoccupied (perhaps by Nyctisauria, a group of lizards), and proposed the unnecessary replacement name Nyctodactylus. Pterodactyloidea Nyctosauridae L. Cret. NA.

Occidentalia Miller 1972 "western one"

OK-si-den-TAY-lee-a (Lat. occidentalis "western" + -ia) (f) subgenus proposed for Pteranodon occidentalis "western" (a nomen dubium according to Bennett 1994). [= Pteranodon]

Odontorhynchus Stolley 1936 "toothed snout"

o-DON-to-RING-kus (Gr. odont- (odous) "tooth" + Gr. rhygkhos "snout" + -us) (m) named for the long, narrow teeth in the front of its lower jaws, unlike in Rhamphorhynchus, which had a toothless beak-like tip on its lower jaws. The type specimen is lost. (Preoccupied by Odontorhynchus Pelzeln 1868.) Rhamphorhynchoidea Rhamphorhynchidae L. Jur. Eur. [nomen dubium]

Ornithocephalus Soemmerring 1812 "bird head"

or-NITH-o-SEF-a-lus (Gr. ornith- (ornis) "bird" + Gr. kephale "head" + -us) (m) for the bird-like form of the head in an animal thought to be intermediate between a mammal and a bird. [= Pterodactylus]

Ornithocheirus Seeley 1869 "bird hand"

or-NITH-o-KIE-rus (Gr. ornith- (ornis) "bird" + Gr. kheir "hand" + -us) (m) named for the supposed bird-like construction of the carpus, consisting of "three bones arranged as a proximal carpal, a distal carpal, and a lateral carpal...a portion of the hand which is, in this type, so eminently bird-like in the form and arrangement of elements as amply sustain the name [Ornithocheirus]." According to Seeley, "the Ornithosaurs...all have the ornithic type of hand, and make no approximation to the structure of the hand seen in either reptiles or mammals." Richard Owen, however, disputed Seeley's analysis, stating that he, Owen, had "no evidence, and Mr. Seeley has given none, of such departure from the Pterosaurian type of hand as would justify the term Ornithocheirus proposed by Mr. Seeley..." Pterodactyloidea Ornithocheiridae L. Cret. Eur.

Ornithopterus von Meyer 1838 "bird wing"

or-ni-THOP-ter-us (Gr. ornith- (ornis) "bird" + Gr. pteron "wing" + -us) (m) based on an incomplete wing-finger from a Rhamphorhynchus, which von Meyer misinterpreted as indicating a pterosaur with only two phalanges in its wing digit (somewhat resembling a bird's wing); used to establish the group Diarthri ("two-joints"), contrasting with the Tetrarthri ("four-joints"), which included other known pterosaurs such as Pterodactylus and Rhamphorhynchus with four phalanges in the wing-finger. A. Wagner pointed out the error, and von Meyer later withdrew the genus. [= Rhamphorhynchus]

Ornithosauria Bonaparte (1838) 1840 "bird lizards"

or-NITH-o-SAWR-ee-a (Gr. ornith- (ornis) "bird" + Gr. sauros "lizard" + -ia) (n) Proposed by the Italian ornithologist Prince Charles Bonaparte, to indicate that pterosaurs had an anatomical organization between that of birds and reptiles. Seeley used the name for a separate order of vertebrates, close to birds in their anatomical organization and metabolism: "The extinct Pterodactyles hold a relation to Birds in the scheme of life not unlike that which Monotremata hold to other Mammals. Both are remarkable for the variety of their affinities and resemblances to Reptiles." [obsolete]

Ornithostoma Seeley 1871 "bird mouth"

or-ni-THOS-to-ma (Gr. ornith- (ornis) "bird" + Gr. stoma "mouth") (n) named for "portions of jaws [which] have the ordinary dagger-shaped snout, but appear to be entirely destitute of teeth," as in modern birds. Once treated as a senior synonym of Pteranodon, or used as a waste basket genus, the poorly known Ornithostoma is now considered distinct (Bennett 1994). Pterodactyloidea Pteranodontidae L. Cret. Eur. [nomen dubium]

Palaeornis Mantell 1844 "ancient bird"

pay-lee-OR-nis (Gr. palaios "ancient" + Gr. ornis "bird") (m) originally described as a bird, based on a upper arm bone [= Ornithocheirus]

Parapsicephalus Arthaber 1918 "adjoined-arch head"

pa-RAP-si-SEF-a-lus (Gr. para "beside, alongside" + Gr. apsis "arch" + Gr. kephale "head" + -us) (m) named for the strengthened bony arches between the skull openings. Rhamphorhynchoidea Rhamphorhynchidae E. Jur. Eur.

Peteinosaurus Wild 1978 "winged lizard"

pe-TIE-no-SAWR-us (Gr. peteinos "winged" + Gr. sauros "lizard") (m) named for its wings. Rhamphorhynchoidea Dimorphodontidae L. Trias. Eur.

Phobetor Bakhurina 1986 "frightening one"

fo-BEE-tor (Gr. phobetor "one causing fear"; in mythology, Phobetor was one of the sons of Somnus "Sleep," who took the shape of snakes and wild animals to inspire terror in humans) (m) alluding to the strange appearance of its skull, with a small crest and upturned pincer-like jaws. (Preoccupied by Phobetor Krřyer 1844 (Pisces).) Pterodactyloidea Dsungaripteridae E. Cret. CAs. [to be renamed]

Plataleorhynchus Howse & Milner 1995 "spoonbill snout"

pla-TAL-ee-o-RING-kus (Lat. platalea "spoonbill" + Gr. rhygkhos "snout" + -us) (m) named for the resemblance of its snout to that of a modern spoonbill (Platalea), with an enlarged rounded tip, lined with straining teeth. Pterodactyloidea Ctenochasmatidae L. Jur. or E. Cret. Eur. (England)

Preondactylus Wild 1983 "Preone (Italy) finger"

pray-on-DAK-ti-lus (Preone + Gr. daktylos "finger") (m) named for the Preone Valley, Italy, where the fossil was found. Rhamphorhynchoidea Rhamphorhynchidae L. Trias. Eur.

Ptenodactylus Seeley 1869 "winged finger"

TEN-o-DAK-ti-lus (Gr. ptenos "winged" + Gr. daktylos "finger") (m) preoccupied by Ptenodactylus Gray 1845 (Squamata) [= Ornithocheirus]

Ptenodracon Lydekker 1888 "winged dragon"

te-NOD-ra-kon (Gr. ptenos "winged" + Gr. drakon "dragon") (m) for a juvenile specimen of Pterodactylus. [= Pterodactylus]

Pteranodon Marsh 1876 "winged no-tooth" ("toothless flyer")

te-RAN-o-don (Gr. pteron "wing" + an- "no, without" + Gr. odon "tooth")* (m) Marsh says: "distinguished from all previously known genera of the order by the entire absence of teeth." Pterodactyloidea Pteranodontidae L. Cret. NA.

Pterodactylus Rafinesque 1815 "wing-finger"

TER-o-DAK-ti-lus (Gr. pteron "wing" + Gr. daktylos "finger") (m) latinized form of Cuvier's term "Ptero-Dactyle," referring to a wing supported by a single large finger. Cuvier's 1812 functionalist analysis of the specimen correctly identified the animal as a reptile rather than as a mammal as proposed by a number of earlier researchers, and summed up its likely life-style and habits:

"To begin with, there is no analogy between the structure of the fossil animal's wings and those of the bats, which have every finger elongated except the thumb, whereas the fossil animal has no thumb at all, with the last digit only elongated. The teeth of the fossil animal, in all cases pointed and uniform in shape, can only be compared with those of dolphins, from which it differs in the extreme in every other detail. The unequal number of phalanges in the digits, otherwise complete and tipped with claws, has no match as well among quadrupeds, which always have two phalanges in the thumb, three in the other digits, and among which, moreover, the thumb always lacks the first. Finally, the structure of the head, particularly the beak, can be compared to nothing known among the mammals.

"On the contrary, all these characters find analogous examples in the class of reptiles, and various details of the skeleton, which might appear insignificant in themselves, become obvious and necessary characters the moment one admits that one is dealing with a reptile, or rather an oviparous quadruped, for the term reptile suits our fossil animal as little as it suits the Flying Dragon.

...It is among the reptiles only, and not among mammals, that one notes such a construction of the head, such an immense orbit, and that such a large opening could be formed in front of the orbit, by removing part of the maxillary bone. Among mammals, the entire bony architecture of the interior of the nose would have remained.

...I had judged this animal a reptile at first glance, from the form of the small bone [quadrate] that bears the articulation of the jaws...It was with extreme pleasure that I subsequently saw this classification confirmed in every detail of the osteology during a more thorough examination, and saw the general laws of correlation, which form the basis of anatomy, receive their full and entire application in this inhabitant of a world so different from ours, as they do in the animals of our own day.

Nonetheless, this reptile, this oviparous quadruped, also has peculiar generic characters; but Nature, true to her usual course, produced generic characters only by elongating or shortening certain parts: the shortening to the tail, the elongation of the muzzle, the neck and four limbs, and above all the excessive prolongation of the fourth digit of the hand; characters no more extraordinary that the elongation of the snout in the gavial, the ribs of the Flying Dragon, and the fingers of the bat.

It is hardly possible to doubt that such a long finger did not serve to support a membrane that formed for the animal, from the length of the anterior extremity, a wing more powerful than that of the Flying Dragon, and at least equal in strength to that of the bat. Our animal thus flew with as much vigor as its muscles permitted; it would then use its three short fingers armed with claws to hang from trees; it was only in flight and in hanging from trees that such a neck and head, longer than its feet, would not encumber the animal. Its teeth would in no way allow it to slice up vegetation, and its size would allow to it to hunt little more than insects. Finally, the largeness of its orbits should let us judge the size of its eyes; such eyes should convince us that it was a nocturnal animal. No naturalist will doubt that such a being did not belong to the saurian order, and consequently, could not fail to be covered in scales. Thus, short of its colors, we may know the animal as well as if we had seen it alive."

Pterodactyloidea Pterodactylidae L. Jur. Eur.

Pterodaustro Bonaparte 1969 "southern wing"

ter-o-DAW-stroh (Gr. pteron "wing" + Lat. de austro "from the south (wind)") (m) alluding to Argentina, South America, where the fossils were found (San Luis Province). Pterodactyloidea Pterodaustridae E. Cret. SA.

Pterosauria Kaup 1834 "winged lizards"

TER-o-SAWR-ee-a (Gr. pteron "wing" + Gr. sauros "lizard" + -ia) (n) [taxon]

Puntanipterus Bonaparte & Sanchez 1974 "Puntano wing"

poon-ta-NIP-ter-us (Span. puntano, a native of San Luis Province, Argentina (from Punto de los Venados "Deer Point") + Gr. pteron "wing" + -us) (m) referring to San Luis Province in Argentina, where the fossil was found. Pterodactyloidea Dsungaripteridae E. Cret. SA.

Quetzalcoatlus Lawson 1975 "Plumed Serpent"

KET-sahl-koh-AHT-lus KET-sahl-koh-AHT-lus (Quetzalcoatl (from Nahuatl Indian quetzalli "long feather" + coatl "snake") + -us) (m) named for Quetzalcoatl, the plumed serpent god of the Aztecs and Toltecs of ancient Mexico; to indicate a gigantic pterosaur found in Texas, a region that once belonged to Mexico. Quetzalcoatlus is a large pterosaur originally based on parts of a gigantic forelimb and wing (left humerus, partial radius, ulna, proximal and distal carpals, metacarpal, phalanges of the fourth digit) (Holotype: Texas Memorial Museum No. 41450-3), found in the Late Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) Javelina Formation in Big Bend National Park, Brewster County, southwest Texas; plus partial remains of other individuals (including toothless mandibles, hind legs and wings) about half the size of the holotype and found about 40 km away. The type humerus is 52 cm long (twice as long as in Pteranodon) with a delto-pectoral crest running half the length. Recently described skull material (Kellner and Langston 1996) belonging to a new but still unnamed species of Quetzalcoatlus indicates the skull is very long, with a large combined nasal-antorbital fenestra opening, and a bony crest along the top back portion. Original estimates of the wingspan of the type species have now been downsized from 15.5 m (52 ft) to around 11 m (37 ft), based on different proportions in the wing elements from in Pteranodon. Although Quetzalcoatlus is widely cited as the largest known flying creature, new finds in Spain and Transylvania, and restudy of fragmentary remains of Arambourgiania, hint at even larger types of pterosaurs with wingspans perhaps exceeding 12 meters (40 feet).

Type Species: Quetzalcoatlus northropi [NOR-thro-pie] Lawson 1975: for John Knudsen Northrop (1895-1981), designer of the "flying-wing" aircraft, which resembles a tailless pterosaur. An additional smaller species (about half the size of Q. northropi) will be described in the future. Pterodactyloidea Azhdarchidae Late Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) NA. [revised 9-2001]

Rhamphinion Padian 1984 "rhamphorhynchid occiput"

ram-FIN-ee-on (Gr. rhamphos "beak" [used in rhamphorhynchid names] + Gr. inion "back of the head, nape of the neck (occiput)") (n) named for the back part of a skull (occiput) from a rhamphorhynchid. Rhamphorhynchoidea E. Jur. NA.

Rhamphocephalus Seeley 1880 "beak head"

RAM-fo-SEF-a-lus (Gr. rhamphos "beak" + Gr. kephale "head" + -us) (m) named to indicate a genus possibly closely allied to Rhamphorhynchus "beak snout." Rhamphorhynchoidea Rhamphorhynchidae M. Jur. Eur.

Rhamphorhynchus von Meyer 1847 "beak snout"

RAM-fo-RING-kus (Gr. rhamphos "beak" + Gr. rhygkhos "snout" + -us) (m) referring to the toothless "beak-like projection on the snout" beyond the front teeth, almostly certainly designed, like the long spear-like teeth, to help capture fish. Recent research (Bennett 1995) has reinterpreted various proposed species of Rhamphorhynchus as growth stages and size variations (with possible sexual dimorphism) of a single species (R. muensteri MUN-ste-rie "for Count Georg Muenster (1776-1844), German researcher and fossil collector, who first described the type specimen in 1830), indicating that early rhamphorhynchoid pterosaurs may have had a reptilian-type of growth rate, rather than a rapid period of juvenile growth with a determinate adult size, as evidenced in later pterodactyloid pterosaurs such as Pteranodon. Rhamphorhynchoidea Rhamphorhynchidae L. Jur. Eur.

Santanadactylus de Buisonje 1980 "Santana (Brazil) finger"

san-TAN-a-DAK-ti-lus (Santana + Gr. daktylos "finger") (m) named for the Santana Formation, northeastern Brazil. Pterodactyloidea Ornithocheiridae E. Cret. SA.

Scaphognathus Wagner 1861 "boat jaw"

ska-FOG-na-thus (c.u.: SKAF-og-NAY-thus) (Gr. skaphe "boat, canoe" + Gr. gnathos "jaw" + -us) (m) Wagner explains: named "for the boat-like form of the lower jaw." Rhamphorhynchoidea Rhamphorhynchidae L. Jur. Eur.

Siroccopteryx Mader & Kellner 1999 "Sirocco wing"

sih-ro-KOP-te-riks (Sirocco + Gr. pteryx "wing")* (f) referring to the sirocco, a hot, dry, dust-laden wind originating in North Africa and blowing across the Mediterranean Sea. Siroccopteryx is an anhanguerid pterosaur known from a rather fragmentary anterior part of an upper jaw with teeth (Holotype: LINHM 016 (Long Island Natural History Museum, Levittown, New York)), found in Ksar es Souk Province, Hamada du Guir, Morocco. The snout is comparatively massive and broad, with a straight anterior tip that is higher than in Anhanguera but lower than Tropeognathus; the sagittal crest along the premaxillary has a nearly straight dorsoanterior margin. The teeth are straighter and shorter than in Anhanguera. The unusual rugose and pitted surface of the bone in the specimen may be evidence of disease, possibly associated with abscessed teeth.

Type Species: Siroccopteryx moroccensis [mor-ok-SEN-sis] Mader & Kellner 1999: "from Morocco," the country where the holotype originates. Pterosauria Anhangueridae Cretaceous (Albian or Cenomanian) NAfr. [added 3-2001]

Sordes Sharov 1971 "evil spirit"

SOR-deez (Lat. sordes "filth" but defined by Sharov in Russian as nyechist' "evil spirits" (in Russian folklore))* (f) named for its strange appearance, particularly the apparent dense fur covering its body, indicated by the species name pilosa pi-LOH-sa "hairy" (the gender should be feminine). Recent research has reinterpreted the widely reported coarse "fur" preserved in the type fossil as reenforcing fibers that were embedded in the skin of the wing and other flying surfaces, not as evidence of thick body hair. However, a thin covering of fine fur apparently did cover the neck and body, strongly suggesting that pterosaurs had an active metabolism, though perhaps not always warm-blooded in the same way as in modern mammals or birds--studies of juvenile and adult specimens of the closely related Rhamphorhynchus indicate that some pterosaurs had a reptilian-type growth rate, implying some form of ectothermic metabolism, at least in early forms. Specimens of Sordes have been interpreted as having a membrane stretched between the hind legs, but free of the tail. Such an "uropatagium" (or perhaps more accurately "cruropatagium," since the tail is thought to be free of the leg membrane) would have hampered the animal's movements on the ground, if pterosaurs assumed a bipedal posture as some researchers have suggested. The membrane's alleged presence is cited by some researchers as further evidence that most pterosaurs routinely walked quadrupedally, a stance indicated by recently discovered pterosaur trackways in France and the North America. Unwin and Bakhurina have proposed that the "uropatagium" in Sordes was attached to the separated fifth toe on the hind feet, and could be used as an active control surface in flight or landing. Rhamphorhynchoidea Rhamphorhynchidae L. Jur. CAs.

Sternbergia Miller 1972 "for Sternberg"

stern-BER-gee-a (f) proposed for Pteranodon sternbergi, elevated to a subgenus of Pteranodon. (Preoccupied by Sternbergia Jordan 1925. See Geosternbergia)

Tapejara Kellner 1989 "ancient being"*

tah-pay-ZHAHR-a (m) for the "ancient being," a name in the mythology of the Tupi Indians, the indigenous tribal culture in the region of northeastern Brazil where the fossil was found. Pterodactyloidea Tapejaridae E. Cret. SA.

Tendaguripterus Unwin & Heinrich 1999 "Tendaguru wing"

TEN-duh-goo-RIP-te-rus (Tendaguru + Gr. pteron "wing" + -us) (m) named to indicate a pterosaur from the Tendaguru Beds in southeastern Tanzania, East Africa. Tendaguripterus is a medium-size pterodactyloid pterosaur (probably with 1 m (40 in) wingspan and 20 cm (8 in) long skull) known from an incomplete posterior section of a mandibular symphysis (fused tip of the lower jaw) (Holotype: MB.R.1290 (Museum fuer Naturkunde, Berlin)) found in the Late Jurassic (Kimmeridigian-Tithonian) Middle Saurian Beds at Tendaguru, Tanzania. The teeth are relatively long, pointed and smooth, and widely spaced; unlike in other known dsungaripteroid pterosaurs, the teeth are steeply inclined backward (posterodorsally) in the jaw, erupting from a low, rounded tumescence that forms an expanded margin for each dental alveolus. The jaws appear to have widened rapidly after the relatively narrow and long symphysis at the tip of the lower jaws.

Type Species: Tendaguripterus recki [REK-ie] Unwin & Heinrich 1999: for the German geologist and paleontologist Hans Reck (1886-1937), who was the first to describe pterosaurs from Tendaguru. Pterodactyloidea Dsungaripteroidea Germanodactylidae Late Jurassic (Kimmeridigian-Tithonian) Africa [added 6-2002]

Titanopteryx Arambourg 1959 "titan wing"

tie-ta-NOP-ter-iks (Gr. Titan, a giant + pteryx "wing") (f) named for the large size of the neck bones, originally mistaken for metacarpals supporting a huge wing. (Preoccupied by Titanopteryx Enderlein 1935. See Arambourgiana)

Tropeognathus Wellnhofer 1987 "keel jaw"

TROP-ee-OG-na-thus (c.u.: TROP-ee-og-NAY-thus) (Gr. tropeos (tropis) "keel" + Gr. gnathos "jaw" + -us) (m) named for keel-like crests on the tips of the upper and lower jaws. Pterodactyloidea Criorhynchidae E. Cret. SA.

Tupuxuara Kellner & Campos 1988 "familiar spirit"

too-poo-SHWAHR-a (Tupi tupuxuara) (m) masculine name for a familiar spirit in the mythology of the Tupi Indians, the indigenous culture in the region of northeastern Brazil where the fossil was found. Pterodactyloidea Tapejaridae E. Cret. SA.

Zhejiangopterus Cai & Feng 1994 "Zhejiang (Province) wing"

juh-jyahng-OP-ter-us (Zhejiang (Province) + Greek pteron "wing" + -us) named for Zhejiang Province, southeastern China, where the type fossil material was found. Zhejiangopterus is a large pterodactyloid (est. 5+ m (17+ ft) wingspan) based on a relatively complete skull impression (Holotype: M1330 (Zhejiang Museum of Natural History)), as well as additional skull material and relatively complete skeletons found in the lower Late Cretaceous (?Santonian) Tangshang Formation at Aolicun Village, Shangpan Town, near Linhai Municipality in Zhejiang Province, southeastern China. The skull apparently lacks a bony crest and has a long, pointed, lightly built rostrum with no teeth in the jaws; the nasal opening and antorbital fenestra combine in a single large opening extending half the length of the skull. The 7 neck vertebrae are long and lightly built. The humerus is short and robust with a well developed deltopectoral crest; the metacarpal of the wing finger is longer than the radius and ulna. The femur is almost 50% longer than the humerus and is long and gracile. There is also fossil evidence of skin extending from the wing to the legs. Originally classified as a "nyctosaurid," the genus is now considered an azhdarchid, based mainly on its long neck vertebrae.

Type Species: Zhejiangopterus linhaiensis [leen-hie-EN-sis] Cai & Feng 1994: for Linhai Municipality, near the type location in Zhejiang Province. Pterodactyloidea Azhdarchidae Late Cretaceous (?Santonian) China [added 9-2001]