Upper Jurassic Period

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Dimorphodon weintraubi

Finely preserved partial skeleton showing primitive foot structure from the Callovian, Tamaulipas, Mexico.  This specimen shares similarities with Dimorphodon macronyx.

This fossil represents a new species which extends the range of the Dimorphodontidae.  The preservation is excellent, showing a three dimensional structure, which is rare in pterosaur fossils.  The species was named after the late Professor Robert Weintraub formerly of the George Washington University, U.S.A. The foot structure is distinctly primitive and this species is likely to have been quadrupedal in its walking gait.

Clark, J. M., Hopson, J. A., Hernandez, R., Fastovsky, D. E. & Montellano, M. 1998, Foot posture in a primitive pterosaur. Nature 391, 886–889.