Pterorhynchus

Teh-ro-rink-us (the P is silent and not pronounced).
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Harper Gray

Paleoartist

Harper Grey combines artistic talent with scientific precision to bring extinct creatures and environments back to life. Collaborating closely with paleontologists

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Name

Pterorhynchus (Wing snout).

Phonetic

Teh-ro-rink-us (the P is silent and not pronounced).

Named By

Stephen Czerkas & Ji Qiang - 2002.

Classification

Chordata, Reptilia, Pterosauria, Rhamphorhynchoidea, Rhamphorhynchidae.

Diet

Carnivore.

Species

P. wellnhoferi

Size

85 centimetre wingspan.

Known locations

Mongolia - Daohugou Formation.

Time Period

Bathonian to Oxfordian of the Jurassic.

Fossil representation

Almost complete articulated specimen with impressions of soft tissue.

In Depth

       ‘Wing snout’ may be an unusual name, but this one is in reference to the tall head crest of Pterorhynchus, which in itself is unusual by its very presence in a rhamphorhynchoid pterosaur. This crest rose up from where the nostrils began, rising at a steep angle before curving round to join the back of the skull. The crest was also reinforced by a series of ridges. The teeth of Pterorhynchus are quite robust and seem to be more suited for seizing small animals as opposed to fish and insects.

       The Pterorhynchus holotype is another example of the finely preserved fossils that are known from Asia. The presence of pycnofibres in the specimen is indicative of insulation which in turn suggests a high metabolic rate, which certainly would have been better for maintaining active flight.

Further Reading

– A new rhamphorhynchoid with a headcrest and complex integumentary structures. S. Czerkas & Q. Ji – In – Feathered Dinosaurs and the Origin of Flight. The Dinosaur Museum:Blanding, Utah, 15-41 – Czerkas, S.J. (Ed.). – 2002.

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