Rhamphorhynchus longicaudus, no. 10

Rhamphorhynchus longicaudus (Smith-Woodward 1902) B St 1959 I 400, no. 10 of Wellnhofer 1975, Late Jurassic ~155 mya, was considered a juvenile, but it actually is just another tiny species nesting close to various other tiny species. Similar in size to and derived from a sister to the BMM specimen of Rhamphorhynchus, R. longicaudus no. 10 phylogenetically preceded the giant Rhamphorhynchus longiceps no. 81 and no. 11 (below).

Distinct from the BMM specimen, the skull of R. longicaudus had a longer, thinner rostrum and a relatively larger skull with a narrower lateral temporal fenestra. The mandible was longer than the rostrum. The anterior teeth were longer and sharper.

The cervicals were longer relative to the dorsals. The caudals were more gracile and longer.

The sternal complex was somewhat cardiod in shape and reduced in size. The forelimb elements were all more gracile.

The posterior is unknown in no. 10, but reconstructed here based on similar specimens. The pubis and ischium were close if not joined. The hind limb elements were all more gracile, includig the metatarsals and toes.

See R. longiceps for size comparisons. See Campylognathoides C4 for a local family tree.

Rhamphorhynchus sp. (Wellnhofer 1975) BMNH 37012 (n85)

Rhamphorhynchus longicaudus (Munster 1839) TM 6924 (n1)

Rhamphorhynchus longicaudus (Broili 1927) B St 1889XI 1 (n7)

Rhamphorhynchus sp. BSP 1938 I 503a, No. 11 in Wellnhofer 1975. Click to enlarge and see other samples. Elgin, Hone and Frey (2011) claimed in this example that the wings had experienced "membrane shrinkage." This is not true. They are merely twisted in this case, twisted to such an extent that the membrane is anterior to the wing finger.

Elgin RA, Hone DWE and Frey E 2011. The extent of the pterosaur flight membrane. Acta Palaeontologica Polonica 5X(X): xxx-xxx. doi: 10.4202/app.2009.0145

Smith-Woodward A 1902. On two skulls of the Ornithosaurian Rhamphorhynchus. Annals and Magazine of Natural History, London, (7) 9: 1-5.

Wellnhofer P 1975a-c. Teil I. Die Rhamphorhynchoidea (Pterosauria) der Oberjura-Plattenkalke Süddeutschlands. Allgemeine Skelettmorphologie. Paleontographica A 148: 1-33. Teil II. Systematische Beschreibung. Paleontographica A 148: 132-186. Teil III. Paläokolgie und Stammesgeschichte. Palaeontographica 149: 1-30.

wiki/Rhamphorhynchus

Campylognathoides

Campylognathoides C4

Campylognathoides Cz

Campylognathoides C5

Nesodactylus

Campylognathoides C3

Rhamphorhynchus

Rhamphorhynchus n28

Bellubrunnus

Rhamphorhynchus longicaudus

Rhamph. HMNS 1862