Upper Jurassic Period

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Rhamphorhynchus muensteri

Rhamphorhynchus (beak jaw) muensteri (after Muenster)
Described by Goldfuss in 1831  as as specimen from the Solnhofen limestone, Bavaria, Germany, this pterosaur became famous when a later fossil, found in 1873, showed wing membrane, was described by Marsh in 1882.  This specimen was purchased by the Yale Peabody Museum in the U.S.A.  Skull length 17-19cm  wingspan 1.7 -1.8m.

Goldfuss, G. A. 1831, Beiträge zur Kenntnis verschiedener Reptilien der Vorwelt. I. Reptilien aus dem lithographischen Schiefer. Nova Acta Phys. Med. k. Leopold.-Carol. Inst. Akad. Naturf. 15 (1), 61–128 & pls 6–12. this paper contains one of the oldest reconstruction illustrations of a pterosaur.

Marsh, O. C. 1882, The wings of pterodactyles. Am. J. Sci. (3) 23, 251–256 & pl. 3

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

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Pseudonyms
Ornithocephalus muensteri (Goldfuss 1831)
Rhamphorhynchus muensteri (von Meyer 1846)
Rhamphorhynchus suevicus (Fraas 1855)
Pterodactylus hirundinaceus (Wagner 1857)
Rhamphorhynchus hirundinaceus (Wagner 1858)
Rhamphorhynchus mayeri (Owen 1870)
Rhamphorhynchus pyllurus (Marsh 1882)
Rhamphorhynchus megadactylus (von Koenigswald 1931)
Rhamphorhynchus carnegiei (Koh 1937)/