Darwinopterus robustodens (Lü et al. 2011, Middle Jurassic) was originally considered the transitional taxon linking long-tailed rhamphorhynchoid-grade pterosaurs to pterodactyloid-grade pterosaurs. Unfortunately the cladistic analysis was flawed by not including enough pterosaurs to compare it with and by accepting the resulting 500,000+ possible trees. Here a resolved tree was produced using many times more taxa. Derived from a sister to Pterorhynchus and Kunpengopterus, Darwinopterus was a sister to Wukongopterus and these two left only one Early Cretaceous descendant: Hamipterus.

Distinct from Kunpengopterus, the skull of the Darwinopterus holotype (ZMNH M8782) was relatively larger and had a straighter, more robust rostrum with a short bony crest that likely served as the base for a soft crest, as seen in Pterorhynchus. The teeth were larger.

Distinct from Kungopterus, the sternal complex of YH-2000 was triangular, as in Pterorhynchus, but much smaller. The anterior process of the prepubis was deeper. Pedal 5.2 was bent, not curved.

Hongshanopterus lacustris (IVPP V14582; Wang et al. 2008; Early Cretaceous) is a pterosaur known from a skull exposed in palate view and several cervicals. Originally it was considered a basal istiodactylid. Here it nests with Hamipterus, but without a pinched rostrum/spoonbill.

Darwinopterus sp - "Mrs. T" (Lü et al. 2011, ZMNH M8802), a female with an egg. Lü et al. (2011) reported that no embryo was present in the egg expelled. Actually the bones of the embryo are present, just not fully ossified because the embryo was not fully developed, according to its size, which did not fill the eggshell. The bones left minor negative impressions.

Archosaurs (birds and crocs) expel the egg shortly after fertilization. Lizards retain the egg much longer, sometimes until just before hatching, as in pterosaurs. The extremely thin pterosaur eggshell is more comparable to those of living lizards that retain the egg until just before hatching, than to the thicker eggshells of crocs and birds. Compare to other pterosaur embryos: IVPP specimen, JZMP specimen, Pterodaustro, which are also 1/8 the size of the parent.

Darwinopterus ?modularis (Lü et al. 2009, YH-2000) nests with Darwinopterus linglongtaensis in the LPT.

Darwinopterus linglongtaensis (Wang et al. 2010, IVPP V16049.