Pterorhynchus

Pterorhynchus
Temporal range: Middle Jurassic, 164 Ma
Skeletal reconstruction showing known material
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Order: Pterosauria
Clade: Darwinoptera
Genus: Pterorhynchus
Czerkas & Ji, 2002
Type species
Pterorhynchus wellnhoferi
Czerkas & Ji, 2002

Pterorhynchus ("wing snout") is an extinct genus of pterosaur from the mid-Jurassic aged Yanliao Biota[1] of Inner Mongolia, China.

The genus was named in 2002 by Stephen Czerkas and Ji Qiang. The type species is Pterorhynchus wellnhoferi. The genus name is derived from Greek pteron, "wing" and rhynchos, "snout", in reference to the tall crest on the head. The specific name honours the German pterosaur researcher Peter Wellnhofer.

The genus is based on holotype CAGS02-IG-gausa-2/M 608 (earlier DM 608). It was found in Chifeng in the Daohugou Beds. According to Ji Pterorhynchus belongs to the Yanliao Biota from the Haifanggou Formation of the Callovian; Lü Junchang in 2007 ascribed it to the somewhat later Tiaojishan Formation of the same stage. In 2023, it is suggested that taxon is from Haifanggou Formation again.[2]

  1. ^ Xiaolin, Wang; Zhonghe, Zhou; Huaiyu, He; Fan, Jin; Yuanqing, Wang; Jiangyong, Zhang; Yuan, Wang; Xing, Xu; Fucheng, Zhang; et al. (2005). "Stratigraphy and age of the Daohugou Bed in Ningcheng, Inner Mongolia". Chinese Science Bulletin. 50 (20): 2369–2376. doi:10.1007/BF03183749.
  2. ^ Li, Yuling; Chang, Su-Chin; Zhang, Haichun; Wang, Jun; Pei, Rui; Zheng, Daran; Fang, Yan; Hemming, Sidney R. (2023-11-15). "A chronostratigraphic and biostratigraphic framework for the Yanliao Biota of northeastern China: Implications for Jurassic terrestrial ecosystems and evolution". Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology. 630: 111818. doi:10.1016/j.palaeo.2023.111818. ISSN 0031-0182.