Dimorphodon
Dimorphodon is an extinct genus of early pterosaurs from the Early Jurassic. Its large head, short wings, and two distinct tooth types set it apart.
Pterosaur: An extinct group of flying reptiles whose wings were formed by a membrane stretched mainly between the body and an elongated fourth finger. Dimorphodon belongs to this group, whose wing structure distinguishes pterosaurs from birds and bats.
Dimorphodon macronyx: The type species of Dimorphodon, named from Early Jurassic fossils found in England. This species anchors the genus and includes its best-known fossil material.
Pterosaur locomotion: The ways pterosaurs moved on the ground and in the air, including debated forms of quadrupedal walking and launching. Dimorphodon’s short wings and body proportions inform reconstructions of its movement.
Pterosaur paleontology: The scientific study of pterosaur fossils, anatomy, evolution, and ecology. Dimorphodon became an early subject in the developing study of pterosaurs.
Rhamphorhynchus: A long-tailed pterosaur genus from the Late Jurassic, known from exceptionally preserved fossils in Germany. Its later age and different proportions offer a comparison with the much earlier Dimorphodon.
Pterosauria: The clade comprising all pterosaurs, the flying reptiles of the Mesozoic Era. This broader evolutionary group places Dimorphodon among Mesozoic flying reptiles.
Mary Anning: An English fossil collector and paleontologist whose discoveries helped establish the study of prehistoric life. Anning discovered the fossil later named Dimorphodon macronyx at Lyme Regis.
Pterosaur flight: Powered flight in pterosaurs, produced by muscular flapping of membrane wings supported by elongated fingers. Its wing anatomy places Dimorphodon within the evolution of powered vertebrate flight.
Richard Owen: A British comparative anatomist who coined the term Dinosauria and contributed to vertebrate paleontology. Owen named Dimorphodon and interpreted its fossil anatomy in the nineteenth century.
Pterodactylus: A small, short-tailed pterosaur genus from the Late Jurassic Solnhofen Limestone of Germany. Its short tail contrasts with the long-tailed body plan of Dimorphodon.