Ardeadactylus

History

Only two specimens of Ardeadactylus are known to exist currently: SMNS 56603 (earlier SMNS 5802) found in 1874, a specimen from Nusplingen initially thought to belong to the species Pterodactylus suevicus (currently Cycnorhamphus), and the neotype of the species, JME-SOS 2428, a specimen held at Jura Museum in Eichstätt. Other known specimens, including the holotype designated by Christian Erich Hermann von Meyer when he named the type species Pterodactylus longicollum in 1854, were lost during World War II.

Description

Ardeadactylus is suspected to be a heron–like, long–necked long–legged piscivore. It was similar to Pterodactylus antiquus in its general body form, but seems to have been larger. Bennett (2013) estimated the wingspan of the neotype specimen to be 1.45 m; the referred specimen from the Jura Museum is more or less 10% larger. A. longicollum had fewer, fifteen per jaw, and relatively larger teeth than P. antiquus, possibly indicating that it preyed on larger fish than Pterodactylus.

Classification

In 2017, a phylogenetic analysis by Steven Vidovic and David Martill found Ardeadactylus within the family Aurorazhdarchidae, sister taxon to Aurorazhdarcho. Their cladogram is shown below:

In 2018 however, Nicholas Longrich and colleagues had recovered a different set of relationships for ctenochasmatoids. In their analysis, Ardeadactylus was recovered within the Ctenochasmatidae instead. Their cladogram is shown below.

References

References

1. (2013). "New information on body size and cranial display structures of ''Pterodactylus antiquus'', with a revision of the genus". Paläontologische Zeitschrift.
2. Fraas, O., 1878, "Über ''Pterodactylus suevicus'', Qu., von Nusplingen", ''Palaeontographica'', '''25''': 163–174
3. Meyer, C.E.H. von, 1854, "Mittheilungen an Professor Bronn: Anthracotherium Dalmatinum vom ''Monte Promina'' u.a. A.; Chelydra Decheni aus Braunkohle des ''Siebengebirges''; Wirbelthier-Reste aus dem Basalttuff-Konglomerat zu ''Glimbach'' an der ''Rabenau''; angebliches Vorkommen von Agnotherium antiquum und Hyaena spelaea; fossile Reste im lithographischen Schiefer von ''Nusplingen'' bei ''Spaichingen''; Eryon Schuberti; Litogaster; Pemphix; Pterodactylus longicollum n. sp. in ''Solenhofener'' Schiefer; Acrosaurus Frischmanni von da; Reptilien und Cancer-Arten im ''Kressenberger'' Nummuliten-Gestein", ''Neues Jahrbuch für Mineralogie, Geognosie, Geologie und Petrefaktenkunde'' '''1854''': 47–58
4. The original holotype, consisting of the skull, neck and anterior torso, had been found near Eichstätt in 1853 and was that year acquired for the ''Herzoglich Leuchtenbergische Naturalien-Kabinett'' by Professor [[Ludwig Frischmann]]. Its destruction motivated [[Peter Wellnhofer]] to assign a neotype in 1970.Wellnhofer, P., 1970, "Die Pterodactyloidea (Pterosauria) der Oberjura-Plattenkalke Süddeutschlands", ''Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften, Mathematisch-Wissenschaftlichen Klasse, Abhandlungen'' '''141''': 1–133
5. (2017). "The taxonomy and phylogeny of ''Diopecephalus kochi'' (Wagner, 1837) and ''"Germanodactylus rhamphastinus"'' (Wagner, 1851)". Geological Society, London, Special Publications.
6. (2018). "Late Maastrichtian pterosaurs from North Africa and mass extinction of Pterosauria at the Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary". PLOS Biology.