Scaphognathus
Encyclopedia
Scaphognathus was a pterosaur
that lived around Germany
during the Late Jurassic
. It had a wingspan of about one meter.
The first known Scaphognathus specimen was described in 1831 by August Goldfuss who mistook the tailless specimen for a new Pterodactylus species: P. crassirostris. The specific name means "fat snout" in Latin
. This specimen was an incomplete adult with a three foot wingspan recovered from the Solnhofen strata near Eichstätt
. In 1858 Johann Wagner recognized the "rhamphorhynchoid" nature of "P." crassirostris after the discovery of the second specimen in Mühlheim, whose tail was preserved. The second Scaphognathus specimen was more complete than its predecessor, but only half the size (20 inch wingspan) and with partially ossified bones. These characters indicate that the second specimen was a juvenile. Wagner, after previous failed attempts by Leopold Fitzinger
and Christoph Gottfried Andreas Giebel
, who used preoccupied names, in 1861 named a distinct genus: Scaphognathus, derived from Greek skaphe, "boat" or "tub", and gnathos, "jaw", in reference to the blunt shape of the lower jaws.
At present Scaphognathus is known from three specimens, all of which originated in the Kimmeridgian
-age Solnhofen Limestone
. Physically it was very similar to Rhamphorhynchus, albeit with notable cranial differences.
For one, Scaphognathus had a proportionately shorter skull (4.5 in) with a blunter tip and a larger antorbital fenestra. Its teeth oriented vertically rather than horizontally. The traditional count of them held that eighteen teeth were in the upper jaws and ten in the lower. S. Christopher Bennett, studying a new third specimen, in 2004 determined there were only sixteen teeth in the upper jaws, the higher previous number having been caused by incorrectly adding replacement teeth.
Comparisons between the scleral ring
s of Scaphognathus and modern birds and reptiles suggest that it may have been diurnal. This may also indicate niche partitioning with contemporary pterosaurs inferred to be nocturnal, such as Ctenochasma
and Rhamphorhynchus
.
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...
that lived around Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
during the Late Jurassic
Late Jurassic
The Late Jurassic is the third epoch of the Jurassic Period, and it spans the geologic time from 161.2 ± 4.0 to 145.5 ± 4.0 million years ago , which is preserved in Upper Jurassic strata. In European lithostratigraphy, the name "Malm" indicates rocks of Late Jurassic age...
. It had a wingspan of about one meter.
Naming
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...
. This specimen was an incomplete adult with a three foot wingspan recovered from the Solnhofen strata near Eichstätt
Eichstätt
Eichstätt is a town in the federal state of Bavaria, Germany, and capital of the District of Eichstätt. It is located along the Altmühl River, at , and had a population of 13,078 in 2002. It is home to the Katholische Universität Eichstätt-Ingolstadt, the lone Catholic university in Germany. The...
. In 1858 Johann Wagner recognized the "rhamphorhynchoid" nature of "P." crassirostris after the discovery of the second specimen in Mühlheim, whose tail was preserved. The second Scaphognathus specimen was more complete than its predecessor, but only half the size (20 inch wingspan) and with partially ossified bones. These characters indicate that the second specimen was a juvenile. Wagner, after previous failed attempts by Leopold Fitzinger
Leopold Fitzinger
Leopold Joseph Franz Johann Fitzinger was an Austrian zoologist.Fitzinger was born in Vienna and studied botany at the university of Vienna under Nikolaus Joseph von Jacquin...
and Christoph Gottfried Andreas Giebel
Christoph Gottfried Andreas Giebel
Christoph Gottfried Andreas Giebel , German zoologist and palaeontologist.-Biography:Giebel was born on 13 September 1820 in Quedlinburg, Prussian Saxony, and educated at the University of Halle, where he graduated in 1845 with a Ph.D.. In 1858 he became professor of zoology and director of the...
, who used preoccupied names, in 1861 named a distinct genus: Scaphognathus, derived from Greek skaphe, "boat" or "tub", and gnathos, "jaw", in reference to the blunt shape of the lower jaws.
Synonyms
- PterodactylusPterodactylusPterodactylus is a genus of pterosaurs, whose members are popularly known as pterodactyls. It was the first to be named and identified as a flying reptile...
crassirostris (Goldfuss 1830) - Pachyrhamphus crassirostris (Fitzinger 1843) preoccupied
- OrnithocephalusOrnithocephalusThe name Ornithocephalus may refer either to* a genus of orchid or* an obsolete name once applied to pterosaur specimens now classified as Pterodactylus and Rhamphorhynchus....
crassirostris (Wagner 1851) - Brachytrachelus crassirostris (Giebel 1852) preoccupied
- RhamphorhynchusRhamphorhynchusRhamphorynchus may refer to:*Rhamphorhynchus, a genus of pterosaur*Rhamphorhynchus, a former monotypic genus of orchid, containing only the species now called Aspidogyne mendoncae...
crassirostris (Wagner 1858)
Description
Kimmeridgian
In the geologic timescale, the Kimmeridgian is an age or stage in the Late or Upper Jurassic epoch or series. It spans the time between 155.7 ± 4 Ma and 150.8 ± 4 Ma . The Kimmeridgian follows the Oxfordian and precedes the Tithonian....
-age Solnhofen Limestone
Solnhofen limestone
The Solnhofen Plattenkalk is a Jurassic Konservat-Lagerstätte that preserves a rare assemblage of fossilized organisms, including highly detailed imprints of soft bodied organisms such as sea jellies...
. Physically it was very similar to Rhamphorhynchus, albeit with notable cranial differences.
For one, Scaphognathus had a proportionately shorter skull (4.5 in) with a blunter tip and a larger antorbital fenestra. Its teeth oriented vertically rather than horizontally. The traditional count of them held that eighteen teeth were in the upper jaws and ten in the lower. S. Christopher Bennett, studying a new third specimen, in 2004 determined there were only sixteen teeth in the upper jaws, the higher previous number having been caused by incorrectly adding replacement teeth.
Comparisons between the scleral ring
Sclerotic ring
Sclerotic rings are rings of bone found in the eyes of several groups of vertebrate animals, except for mammals and crocodilians. They can be made up of single bones or small bones together. They are believed to have a role in supporting the eye, especially in animals whose eyes are not spherical,...
s of Scaphognathus and modern birds and reptiles suggest that it may have been diurnal. This may also indicate niche partitioning with contemporary pterosaurs inferred to be nocturnal, such as Ctenochasma
Ctenochasma
Ctenochasma is a genus of Late Jurassic pterosaur belonging to the suborder pterodactyloidea. Three species are currently recognized: C. roemeri , C. taqueti, and C. elegans...
and Rhamphorhynchus
Rhamphorhynchus
Rhamphorynchus may refer to:*Rhamphorhynchus, a genus of pterosaur*Rhamphorhynchus, a former monotypic genus of orchid, containing only the species now called Aspidogyne mendoncae...
.