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Gnathosaurus taxonomy (= Pterodactylus micronyx + Aurorazhdarcho) + ctenochasmatid mandible from Jurassic of England
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Ben Creisler
Mar 13, 2025, 1:10:54 AM (6 days ago) Mar 13
to DinosaurMa...@googlegroups.com
Ben Creisler
New pterosaur papers:
Roy E. Smith & David M. Martill (2025)
A ctenochasmatid pterosaur from the Portland Limestone Formation (Late Jurassic, Tithonian) of southern England
Proceedings of the Geologists' Association 101100
doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pgeola.2025.101100
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0016787825000094
A new specimen of pterosaurian mandible from the Late Jurassic (Tithonian) Portland Limestone Group of southern England is described. Morphological considerations permit assignment to Pterodactyloidea. The elongate slender mandible and numerous closely spaced alveoli suggest it is a member of the Ctenochasmatidae. A faint median ridge on the occlusal surface between two grooves, converging into a median groove anteriorly, and the lack of a distinct premaxilla suggest the specimen is part of the symphysis of the mandible. This is the first documented record of a pterodactyloid from the Portland Group of England.
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Bennett, S. Christopher (2025)
A review of the pterosaur Gnathosaurus subulatus from the Tithonian Solnhofen Lithographic Limestones of Germany: taxonomy and ontogeny
Neues Jahrbuch für Geologie und Paläontologie - Abhandlungen (advance online publication)
DOI: 10.1127/njgpa/2025/1245
https://www.schweizerbart.de/papers/njgpa/detail/prepub/106471/A_review_of_the_pterosaur_Gnathosaurus_subulatus_from_the_Tithonian_Solnhofen_Lithographic_Limestones_of_Germany_taxonomy_and_ontogeny
The pterosaur Gnathosaurus subulatus from the Tithonian Solnhofen Lithographic Limestones of southern Germany was long known only from a large fragmentary mandible with many long, slender teeth, and was variously thought to be a crocodilian, indeterminate sauropsid, or possible pterosaurian; however, the description of an isolated skull lacking mandible in 1970 demonstrated that Gnathosaurus was pterosaurian. In 1996, it was suggested that the 16 small specimens of Pterodactylus micronyx were conspecific with G. subulatus, and in 2013 P. micronyx was synonymized with a large headless specimen named Aurorazhdarcho primordius. However, it was thought that a large specimen with associated skull and postcranial materials would be needed to determine whether they were conspecific with G. subulatus. Despite that, here the skulls and dentitions of the largest juvenile P. micronyx are described and compared to the holotype mandible and referred skull of G. subulatus, and it is concluded that Pterodactylus micronyx and Aurorazhdarcho primordius are junior synonyms of Gnathosaurus subulatus, and that the species is known from 12 adult and juvenile specimens.
A review of the pterosaur Gnathosaurus subulatus from the Tithonian Solnhofen Lithographic Limestones of Germany: taxonomy and ontogeny
Neues Jahrbuch für Geologie und Paläontologie - Abhandlungen (advance online publication)
DOI: 10.1127/njgpa/2025/1245
https://www.schweizerbart.de/papers/njgpa/detail/prepub/106471/A_review_of_the_pterosaur_Gnathosaurus_subulatus_from_the_Tithonian_Solnhofen_Lithographic_Limestones_of_Germany_taxonomy_and_ontogeny
The pterosaur Gnathosaurus subulatus from the Tithonian Solnhofen Lithographic Limestones of southern Germany was long known only from a large fragmentary mandible with many long, slender teeth, and was variously thought to be a crocodilian, indeterminate sauropsid, or possible pterosaurian; however, the description of an isolated skull lacking mandible in 1970 demonstrated that Gnathosaurus was pterosaurian. In 1996, it was suggested that the 16 small specimens of Pterodactylus micronyx were conspecific with G. subulatus, and in 2013 P. micronyx was synonymized with a large headless specimen named Aurorazhdarcho primordius. However, it was thought that a large specimen with associated skull and postcranial materials would be needed to determine whether they were conspecific with G. subulatus. Despite that, here the skulls and dentitions of the largest juvenile P. micronyx are described and compared to the holotype mandible and referred skull of G. subulatus, and it is concluded that Pterodactylus micronyx and Aurorazhdarcho primordius are junior synonyms of Gnathosaurus subulatus, and that the species is known from 12 adult and juvenile specimens.
===
Free pdf:
Roy E. Smith & David M. Martill (2025)
A ctenochasmatid pterosaur from the Portland Limestone Formation (Late Jurassic, Tithonian) of southern England
Proceedings of the Geologists' Association 101100
doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pgeola.2025.101100
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0016787825000094
A new specimen of pterosaurian mandible from the Late Jurassic (Tithonian) Portland Limestone Group of southern England is described. Morphological considerations permit assignment to Pterodactyloidea. The elongate slender mandible and numerous closely spaced alveoli suggest it is a member of the Ctenochasmatidae. A faint median ridge on the occlusal surface between two grooves, converging into a median groove anteriorly, and the lack of a distinct premaxilla suggest the specimen is part of the symphysis of the mandible. This is the first documented record of a pterodactyloid from the Portland Group of England.
===
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