The Pterosaur Database

The first group of papers show a convention with descriptive text and footnotes. Knowledge of the known specimens is assumed.

Buckland W., 1829, On the discovery of a new species of Pterodactyle in the Lias at Lyme Regis, Transactions of the Geological Society, London. Ser. 2 (vol. 3), 217-222, and plate 27.

Bowerbank J. S., 1847, Microscopical observations on the structure of the bones of Pterodactylus giganteus and other fossil animals, Quarterly Journal of the Geological Society, series 2 (4), pages 2-10, plates 1 and 2.

Bowerbank J. S., 1854, On a new species of pterodactyl found in the Upper Chalk of Kent (Pterodactylus giganteus) , The Quarterly Journal of the geological Society. 2, 7-9, with 1 plate.

Owen R; 1859, Supplement (No.1) to the Monograph of the fossil Reptilia of the Cretaceous formations, Palaeontographical Society, London.

Owen, R., 1861, Monograph on the fossil Reptilia of the Cretaceous Formations. Supplement III. Pterosauria (Pterodactylus). The Palaeontographical Society, London. (volume for 1858; pp. 1–19 & plates 1–4)

The standard of papers continues with the main features being the descriptive text and illustrations, adding footnotes to clarify points and add information. These papers are generally written for the scientific community.

Seeley H. G., 1865, On the literature of English Pterodactyles, Annals and Magazine of Natural History, pp.1-5 (February 1865).

Seeley H. G., 1870, Remarks on Prof. Owen's Monograph on Dimorphodon, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. (4) 6, 129-152. 24 pages with 5 text figures

Seeley H G., 1870, The Ornithosauria: an elementary study of the bones of pterodactyls, Proceedings of the Cambridge Philosophical Society, 2(1870) p.186

Marsh O. C., 1871, Note on a new and gigantic species of pterodactyle. American Journal of Science, Seriess 3, 1 (6) page 472

Gervais F. L. P., 1871, Reptiles provenant des calcaires lithographiques de Cirin, dans le Bugey, qui sont conservés au Musée de Lyon. Bull. Soc. géol. Fr. (2)28, 171–172. (extract)

Marsh O. C., 1876, Principle characters of American Pterodactyls. American Journal of Science, Series 3, 12 (72) pages 479-480

Seeley H. G., 1879, On Rhamphocephalus prestwichi, Seeley, an Ornithosaurian from the Stonesfield Slate of Kineton. Quarterly Journal of the Geological Society of London, 36: 27-30

Newton E. T., 1888, On the skull, brain and auditory organ of a new species of pterosaurian (Scaphognathus purdoni) from the Upper Lias near Whitby, Yorkshire. Proceedings of the Royal Society, London. 43, pages 436–440.

Lydekker R., 1888, Catalogue of the fossil Reptilia and Amphibia in the British Museum (Natural History). Part I. London, pp. 2–42.

Lydekker R., 1888, Catalogue of the fossil Reptilia and Amphibia in the British Museum (Natural History). Supplement. London, pp. 2–42.

Lydekker R., 1890, On the Ornithosaurian Remains from the Oxford Clay of Huntingdonshire, Quarterly Journal of the Geological Society, Pt.46 pp.429-431

Plieninger F., 1895, Campylognathus Zitteli, A new Pterosaur from the upper Lias of Swabia. Paläontographica 41, 193–222 & pl. 19.

Hay O. P., 1902, Bibliography and Catalogue of the Fossil Vertebrates of North America. Bull. U. S. Geol. Survey. 179, pp. 1-868.. (extract pp.506-508)

Williston S. W., 1902, On the skeleton of Nyctodactylus, with restoration, American Journal of Anatomy, pp.297-305

Hooley R. W., 1913, On the Skeleton of Ornithodesmus latidens; an Ornithosaur from the Wealden Shales of Atherfield (Isle of Wight). Quarterly Journal of the Geological Society, Vol. 96 (No. 274), pp. 372-422.

Hankin E. H. & Watson D. S. M., 1914, On the Flight of Pterodactyls, The Aeronautical Journal, October 1914, Pp 324-335.

The following texts are for popular consumption, being book content or museum guides. The style is a little different from the scientific texts and aimed at a knowledgeable and interested public.

Figuier L., 1891, The World Before the Deluge, Cassell and Company

BMNH, 1891; Guide to the Department of Geology and Palaeontology, Part II, Reptilian Gallery, British Museum of Natural History

BMNH, 1901; Guide to the Fossil reptiles, Amphibians and Fishes in the British Museum of Natural History.

Seeley H. G., 1901, Dragons of the Air: an account of extinct flying reptiles, LONDON, New York (reprint - Dover Paperback, 1967) 240 pp.

The conventions of science stated to become more demanding and papers required a reference list in order to be accepted internationally. Many authors were starting to use the Harvard Convention as a world standard for reference material.

Edinger T., 1941, The brain of Pterodactylus, American Journal of Science, Volume 239, No. 9. Pages 665-682, Plate 1.

Swinton W. E., 1948, A Cretaceous pterosaur from the Belgian Congo. Bull. Soc. Belge Geol. Paléont. Hydr. Liège 77, 234–238.

Rjabinin A. N., 1948, Remarks on a flying reptile from the Jurassic of the Kara-Tau, Akademia Nauk, Paleontological Institute, Trudy, 15(1): 86-93, 1 plate, Moscow and Leningrad

Young C. C., 1964, On a New Pterosaurian from Sinkiang, China, Vertebrate Palasiatica, vol.8 pp.221-225

Zambelli R., 1973, Eudimorphodon Ranzii gen.nov.,sp.nov. Uno Pterosauro Triassico, Rendiconti Instituto Lombardo Accademia, (rend.sc.) Pt.107 pp.27-32

Nesov L. A. 1984, Pterosaur and Birds from the Late Cretaceous of Central Asia. Paleontological Journal. No.1, pp. 47–57.

General texts were also used, in the case of Man and The Vertebrates by Alfred Sherwood Romer, the reference list was in the appendix of a two volume set aimed at a student audience.

Romer A. S.. 1954, Man and the Vertebrates (1). Penguin, pp. 88-90.

The following paper is an important landmark in pterosaur research as it is the first real attempt to quantify the flying characteristics of a fossil pterosaur. There are restrictions with this transcription.

Bramwell C. D. and Whitfield G. R., 1974, Biomechanics of Pteranodon, Phil. Trans. Roy. Soc. B. 267

Wellnhofer P., 1978, Handbuch der Paläeoherpetologie Part 19 : Pterosauria vol 10, 82 pp., 32 figs. - 25,5 x 20,5 cm. paperback - Referred source.