| Alphabetical Bibliography | Biblio-links |
Georges Cuvier - 1769 to 1832
Assigning the first pterosaur fossil to its own genus
Cuvier is the French Naturalist and comparative anatomist who gave the name "Pterodactyle" to a specimen described by Collini. He placed it in a separate reptilian genus in 1809 on the strength of Colini's description, without seeing the fossil, describing it as being "in a class of its own". His 1909 paper has the word 'Ptero' mis-spelt in the title. Strictly speaking, since this was the first printing of the word Petro-dactyle (stone finger), this name should take priority over Pterodactyl(e) (wing finger). This paper is mostly concerned with a translation of the earlier work of Collini
In 1801, von Hoff translated Cuvier's 1801 paper into German
papers on pterosaurs
Cuvier, G. 1801 (Reptile volant.) In Extrait d’un ouvrage sur les espèces de quadrupèdes dont on a trouvé les ossemens dans l’intérieur de la terre. - Proc. Class. Sci., Math. et Phys. Inst. Nationale (Annals de Musee d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris), 26 Brumaire, l’an 9:6.
Cuvier, G. 1809 Sur le squelette fossile d’un reptile volant des environs d’Aichstedt, que quelques naturalistes ont pris pour un oiseau, et dont nous formons un genre de sauriens, sous le nom de Petro-Dactyle. Annls Mus. Hist. nat. 13, 424–437 & pl. 31.
Cuvier, G. 1812 Rechereches sur les ossemens fossiles. 1st edn, p. 24 & pl. 31. Paris.
Cuvier, G. 1824 Recherches sur les ossemens fossiles. 2nd edn, vol. 5 (2), p. 359–382 & pl. 23. Paris.
Cuvier, G. 1825 Recherches sur les ossemens fossiles. 3rd edn, vol. 5 (2), pp. 350–383 & pl. 23. Paris.
Cuvier, G. 1834–1836 Recherches sur les ossemens fossiles, 4th edn, chap. III, Article VI, Sur un genre du sauriens... In vol. 10, pp. 215–261 & pls 250–251 (Atlas, tome 2). Paris: E. D’Ocagne.