| Pterodactylus Temporal range: Late Jurassic (Early Tithonian) | |
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| A restoration of Pterodactylus | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Sauropsida |
| Order: | Pterosauria |
| Suborder: | Pterodactyloidea |
| Genus: | †Pterodactylus Rafinesque, 1815 |
| Species: | P. antiquus |
| Binomial name | |
| Pterodactylus antiquus Sommering, 1812 | |
Pterodactylus (meaning "winged finger") was a pterosaur from the late Jurassic in what is now Europe. The type species is Pterodacylus antiquus.
Discovery and history[]
Pterodactylus is a case study in how confusing it can be to classify 150-million-year-old animals. The first specimen of this pterosaur was discovered way back in 1784, in Germany's Solnhofen fossil beds, decades before before naturalists had any conception of the theory of evolution or, any grasp of the possibility that animals could go extinct. Fortunately, in retrospect, Pterodactylus was named by one of the first academics to grapple with these issues, the Frenchman Georges Cuvier. The holotype (BSP AS.I.739) was described by scientist in 1784.
Description[]
Pterodactylus is known from over 30 fossil specimens, and though most belong to juveniles, many preserve complete skeletons. It is a relatively small pterosaur, with a wingspan about 1.04 meters (3ft 5in). The skulls are long and thin, preserving about 90 narrow conical teeth. It had a crest like other pterosaurs.
Paleoecology[]
It lived with Bavarisaurus, Cricosaurus, Paleomedusa, and others in the Late Jurassic.
Classification[]
In 2017, Steven Vidovic and David Martill placed Pterodactylus as a basal member of the suborder Pterodactyloidea.
In popular culture[]
- The commonly used and often incorrect term, Pterodactyl, comes from Pterodactylus.
- Pterodactylus is a carnivore one in the game, Jurassic Park III: Park Builder.
- Pterodactylus is one of the available creatures on the IOS application, Jurassic Park Builder, albeit it is just a slightly smaller, differently-colored version of the Pteranodon. Despite being a carnivore and a pterosaur in the game, they get an enclosure without fences like what the herbivores in the game get.
- Pterodactylus is a VIP pterosaur in Jurassic World: The Game, albeit it looks like a female Pteranodon with a curved beak.
- Pterodactylus appears in the TV show, Dino Dan. It also appears in Dino Dan: Trek’s Adventures & Dino Dana. All as the toothless species.
- Two Pterodactylus appear in first The Land Before Time during Littlefoot's birth. There are two species of Pterodactylus within the series, which the one seen the The Land Before Time during Littlefoot's birth had a crest (P. antiquus), and the sharptooth flyer that grabbed Ducky (P. kochi) in The Land Before Time V: The Mysterious Island.
- In the scrapped Jurassic Park animated series, Tim Murphy was to own a Pterodactylus named "Pterry" that would be perched on his shoulder.
- In King Kong and Son of Kong.
- Pterodactylus appeared in the Netflix Original Documentary Series, Life on Our Planet, where many hunt Jurassic sea turtle hatchlings.
- Pterodactylus is mentioned in Dinosaur King.