Pterodactylus
Pterodactylus kochi. Conservation status: Fossil Pterodactylus kochi, drawing by John Conway, 2003. ...
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Archosauria Order: Pterosauria Family: Pterodactylidae Genus: Pterodactylus
Species
P. antiquus (Holotype) P. arningi P. cerinensis P. grandipelvis P. grandis P. kochi P. manseli P. maximus P. micronyx P. pleydelli P. suprajurensis Scientific classification or biological classification is how biologists group and categorize extinct and living species of organisms. ... Phyla Porifera (sponges) Ctenophora (comb jellies) Cnidaria Placozoa Bilateria  Acoelomorpha  Orthonectida  Rhombozoa  Myxozoa  Superphylum Deuterostomia     Chordata (vertebrates, etc. ... Typical Classes Subphylum Urochordata - Tunicates Ascidiacea Thaliacea Larvacea Subphylum Cephalochordata - Lancelets Subphylum Myxini - Hagfishes Subphylum Vertebrata - Vertebrates Petromyzontida - Lampreys Placodermi (extinct) Chondrichthyes - Cartilaginous fishes Acanthodii (extinct) Actinopterygii - Ray-finned fishes Actinistia - Coelacanths Dipnoi - Lungfishes Amphibia - Amphibians Reptilia - Reptiles Aves - Birds Mammalia - Mammals Chordates (phylum Chordata) include the vertebrates, together with... Groups Crurotarsi     Crocodylia (crocodiles) Ornithodira     Pterosauria     Dinosauria        Aves (birds) Archosaurs (Greek for ruling reptiles) are a group of diapsid reptiles that first evolved from Archosauriform ancestors during the Olenekian (Lower Triassic). ... Suborders Rhamphorhynchoidea Pterodactyloidea Pterosaurs (TEH-row-sore, winged lizards) were flying reptiles of the clade Pterosauria. ... A holotype (sometimes simply type) is the single physical example or illustration of an organism that defines the characteristics of the whole species. ...

Pterodactylus (TER-o-DACK-ti-lus) was a pterosaur or flying reptile, with a wingspan of about 50–75 cm (20–30 inches), that lived on lake shores during the late Jurassic era. It was a carnivore, and probably ate fish. Fossils have been discovered in Europe and Africa. Suborders Rhamphorhynchoidea Pterodactyloidea Pterosaurs (TEH-row-sore, winged lizards) were flying reptiles of the clade Pterosauria. ... Orders  Crocodylia - Crocodilians  Rhynchocephalia - Tuataras  Squamata   Suborder Sauria - Lizards   Suborder Serpentes - Snakes Testudines - Turtles Superorder Dinosauria  Saurischia  Ornithischia The reptiles are a group of vertebrate animals. ... The wingspan (or just span) of an airplane is the distance from the left wingtip to the right wingtip. ... CM or cm may stand for: Cameroon (ISO country code) centimetre (cm) Championship Manager - an association football computer game circular mil - a USA unit for the cross-sectional area of electrical wires (always CM, in capitals) Computer Modern - the standard font set that ships with the TeX computer typesetting system... Mid-19th century tool for converting between different standards of the inch An inch is an Imperial unit of length. ... The Jurassic period is a major unit of the geologic timescale that extends from about 200 million years BP at the end of the Triassic to 146 million years BP at the beginning of the Cretaceous. ... Carnivores are animals that eat a diet consisting mostly of meat. ... A satellite composite image of Europe Europe is geologically and geographically a peninsula, forming the westernmost part of Eurasia. ... Africa is the worlds second-largest continent in both area and population, after Asia. ...

Etymology and description

The name derives from the Greek words ptero ("winged") and dactyl ("finger"), and refers to the way the wing is supported by one large finger. Like all pterosaurs, Pterodactylus's wing stretched from its last finger to its torso, and was internally supported by collagen fibres, and externally by keratinous ridges. It was originally believed that pterosaurs were gliders, but studies have shown that they could sustain true, powered flight. Collagen is the main protein of connective tissue. ... Microscopic view of stained keratin. ...

Classification

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. See genus (mathematics) for the use of the term in mathematics. ... Georges Cuvier Baron Georges Leopold Chretien Frédéric Dagobert Cuvier (August 23, 1769 - May 13, 1832) was a French naturalist, He was born at Montbéliard (then Mömpelgard in Württemberg) under the name of Johann Leopold Nicolaus Friedrich Kuefer, and was the son of a retired officer... 1809 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... A holotype (sometimes simply type) is the single physical example or illustration of an organism that defines the characteristics of the whole species. ...

External links

• The Dinosauricon's cladogram. (See also cladistics.)