Laopteryx
Encyclopedia
Laopteryx is the name assigned to a pterosaur
(flying reptile) from the Upper Jurassic Morrison Formation
of Wyoming
, USA; it was originally thought to be a bird.
The genus was named in 1881 by Othniel Charles Marsh
. The generic name is derived from Greek laas, "stone", and pteryx, "wing". The full species name given by Marsh was Laopteryx priscum; the specific name meaning "of venerable age" in Latin
. However, Marsh incorrectly used the neuter
form, while pteryx is female in Greek. This was in the 19th century emended to a, also incorrect, male priscus and in 1971 by Pierce Brodkorb
to prisca.
A partial skull, holotype
YPM 1800, was discovered in Quarry 9 at Como Bluff
. It consists of a piece from the hind portion of the cranium. There is also a single tooth, found near the skull and referred to the type. Marsh identified it as a bird, about the size of a heron, of the family Archaeopterygidae
within the Odontornithes
. As such it would have been one of the oldest known and the only one of that age then discovered in America. Only a century later would another possible Archaeopteryx
- type bird be described from North America: Palaeopteryx
, also from the Upper Jurassic of the USA. This has been identified as a dinosaur but may more precisely have been an archaeopterygid; however, all that can be told from the single known specimen is that it was probably a more general eumaniraptoran. The fossil record of Mesozoic
birds mainly consists of Eurasian rather than American Laurasia
n forms.
During most of the 20th century the identification by Marsh was generally doubted but the limited remains generated little interest. In 1986 however, the fossil was restudied by John Ostrom
who concluded that Laopteryx was a pterosaur. There were some indications it belonged to the Pterodactyloidea
but Ostrom, in view of the lack of information, limited his determination to a more general Pterosauria incertae sedis
. Of the tooth he thought it likely belonged to some crocodylomorph
. The name is also regarded as a nomen dubium
, because the fragmentary remains are not sufficiently diagnostic to refer future other fossils to it.
Pterosaur
Pterosaurs were flying reptiles of the clade or order Pterosauria. They existed from the late Triassic to the end of the Cretaceous Period . Pterosaurs are the earliest vertebrates known to have evolved powered flight...
(flying reptile) from the Upper Jurassic Morrison Formation
Morrison Formation
The Morrison Formation is a distinctive sequence of Late Jurassic sedimentary rock that is found in the western United States, which has been the most fertile source of dinosaur fossils in North America. It is composed of mudstone, sandstone, siltstone and limestone and is light grey, greenish...
of Wyoming
Wyoming
Wyoming is a state in the mountain region of the Western United States. The western two thirds of the state is covered mostly with the mountain ranges and rangelands in the foothills of the Eastern Rocky Mountains, while the eastern third of the state is high elevation prairie known as the High...
, USA; it was originally thought to be a bird.
The genus was named in 1881 by Othniel Charles Marsh
Othniel Charles Marsh
Othniel Charles Marsh was an American paleontologist. Marsh was one of the preeminent scientists in the field; the discovery or description of dozens of news species and theories on the origins of birds are among his legacies.Born into a modest family, Marsh was able to afford higher education...
. The generic name is derived from Greek laas, "stone", and pteryx, "wing". The full species name given by Marsh was Laopteryx priscum; the specific name meaning "of venerable age" in Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
. However, Marsh incorrectly used the neuter
Neuter
Neuter is a Latin adjective meaning "neither", and can refer to:* Neutering, the sterilization of an animal* The neuter grammatical gender-See also:*Trap-Neuter-Return , an alternative to euthanasia for managing feral cat and dog populations...
form, while pteryx is female in Greek. This was in the 19th century emended to a, also incorrect, male priscus and in 1971 by Pierce Brodkorb
Pierce Brodkorb
Pierce Brodkorb , also stated as William Pierce Brodkorb, was an American ornithologist and paleontologist....
to prisca.
A partial skull, holotype
Holotype
A holotype is a single physical example of an organism, known to have been used when the species was formally described. It is either the single such physical example or one of several such, but explicitly designated as the holotype...
YPM 1800, was discovered in Quarry 9 at Como Bluff
Como Bluff
Como Bluff is a long ridge extending east-west, located between the towns of Rock River and Medicine Bow, Wyoming. The ridge is an anticline, formed as a result of compressional geological folding. Three geological formations, the Sundance, the Morrison, and the Cloverly Formations, containing...
. It consists of a piece from the hind portion of the cranium. There is also a single tooth, found near the skull and referred to the type. Marsh identified it as a bird, about the size of a heron, of the family Archaeopterygidae
Archaeopterygidae
The Archaeopterygidae is a group of maniraptoran dinosaurs that lived during the late Jurassic and period.-Taxonomy:The order Archaeopterygiformes was coined by Max Fürbringer in 1888 to contain the single family Archaeopterygidae and genus Archaeopteryx...
within the Odontornithes
Odontornithes
Odontornithes is an obsolete and disused taxonomic term proposed by O. C. Marsh for birds possessing teeth, notably the genera Hesperornis and Ichthyornis from the Cretaceous deposits of Kansas....
. As such it would have been one of the oldest known and the only one of that age then discovered in America. Only a century later would another possible Archaeopteryx
Archaeopteryx
Archaeopteryx , sometimes referred to by its German name Urvogel , is a genus of theropod dinosaur that is closely related to birds. The name derives from the Ancient Greek meaning "ancient", and , meaning "feather" or "wing"...
- type bird be described from North America: Palaeopteryx
Palaeopteryx
Palaeopteryx is a genus of theropod dinosaur now considered a nomen dubium. It was named and misidentified by J. A. Jensen in 1981, then redescribed by Jensen and K. Padian in 1989. At that time the binomial Palaeopteryx thomsoni was deemed invalid by Jensen...
, also from the Upper Jurassic of the USA. This has been identified as a dinosaur but may more precisely have been an archaeopterygid; however, all that can be told from the single known specimen is that it was probably a more general eumaniraptoran. The fossil record of Mesozoic
Mesozoic
The Mesozoic era is an interval of geological time from about 250 million years ago to about 65 million years ago. It is often referred to as the age of reptiles because reptiles, namely dinosaurs, were the dominant terrestrial and marine vertebrates of the time...
birds mainly consists of Eurasian rather than American Laurasia
Laurasia
In paleogeography, Laurasia was the northernmost of two supercontinents that formed part of the Pangaea supercontinent from approximately...
n forms.
During most of the 20th century the identification by Marsh was generally doubted but the limited remains generated little interest. In 1986 however, the fossil was restudied by John Ostrom
John Ostrom
John H. Ostrom was an American paleontologist who revolutionized modern understanding of dinosaurs in the 1960s, when he demonstrated that dinosaurs are more like big non-flying birds than they are like lizards , an idea first proposed by Thomas Henry Huxley in the 1860s, but which had garnered...
who concluded that Laopteryx was a pterosaur. There were some indications it belonged to the Pterodactyloidea
Pterodactyloidea
Pterodactyloidea forms one of the two suborders of pterosaurs , and contains the most derived members of this group of flying reptiles...
but Ostrom, in view of the lack of information, limited his determination to a more general Pterosauria incertae sedis
Incertae sedis
, is a term used to define a taxonomic group where its broader relationships are unknown or undefined. Uncertainty at specific taxonomic levels is attributed by , , and similar terms.-Examples:*The fossil plant Paradinandra suecica could not be assigned to any...
. Of the tooth he thought it likely belonged to some crocodylomorph
Crocodylomorpha
The Crocodylomorpha are an important group of archosaurs that include the crocodilians and their extinct relatives.During Mesozoic and early Tertiary times the Crocodylomorpha were far more diverse than they are now. Triassic forms were small, lightly built, active terrestrial animals. These were...
. The name is also regarded as a nomen dubium
Nomen dubium
In zoological nomenclature, a nomen dubium is a scientific name that is of unknown or doubtful application...
, because the fragmentary remains are not sufficiently diagnostic to refer future other fossils to it.