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List of pterosaur genera facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Pterosaurs were amazing flying reptiles that lived alongside dinosaurs! This list tells you about all the different types, or genera, of pterosaurs that scientists have discovered. It includes the ones we know for sure were pterosaurs, as well as some that might have been mistaken for them, or whose names have changed over time. Right now, this list has 268 different pterosaur genera!

Understanding Pterosaur Names

Scientists have special rules for naming animals, like the ones for pterosaurs. This helps everyone around the world know exactly which animal they are talking about. Here are some terms you'll see in the list:

What Do the Names Mean?

  • Authors and Year: This tells you who first officially described the pterosaur genus and when they published their findings. Sometimes, a pterosaur species might be so unique that it gets its own new genus, even if it was first found under a different name.
  • Status: This explains if the name is currently accepted by scientists.
    • Junior synonym: Imagine two different scientists find the same type of pterosaur but give it different names. The first name published is the "senior synonym" and is the one used. The other name becomes a "junior synonym." It's like having two nicknames for the same person, but only one is official!
    • Nomen nudum (say "NOH-men NOO-dum"): This is Latin for "naked name." It means a name was mentioned in writing but wasn't officially published with enough details for other scientists to understand it properly. These names aren't official, so they aren't written in italics in the list. If the name is later officially published, it becomes valid and gets italicized.
    • Preoccupied name: This happens when a name has already been used for a different animal. If a scientist accidentally uses a name that's already taken, that second use isn't valid, and the pterosaur needs a new name. These names also aren't italicized.
    • Nomen dubium (say "NOH-men DOO-bee-um"): This means "doubtful name." It's used when a fossil is found, but it's not complete enough to tell it apart from other known pterosaurs. This list doesn't use this term because it can be a bit tricky and debated among scientists.
  • Age: This column tells you the time period when the pterosaur lived. If a pterosaur name is invalid or was a mistake, it will say "N/A" (Not Applicable) because that pterosaur never truly existed under that name.
  • Location: This shows where the pterosaur's fossils were found.
  • Notes: This section gives you extra interesting facts or explanations about the pterosaur.

The Pterosaur List

Pterosaur Genera

Angustinaripterus NT
Angustinaripterus
Anhanguera
Anhanguera
Pterodactylus antiquus 01 by Line1
Aurorazhdarcho
Bakonydraco as tapejarid DB
Bakonydraco
Campylogn DB
Campylognathoides
Cearadactylus
Cearadactylus
Ctenochasma elegans-BackgroundKnockedOut-ROM-Dec29-07
Ctenochasma
Terrestrial Dorygnathus
Dorygnathus
Feilongus NT
Feilongus
Altmuehlopterus DB
Germanodactylus
HoopterusGracilis-PaleozoologicalMuseumOfChina-May23-08
Haopterus
Jeholopterus ningchengensis
Jeholopterus
LiaoningopterusDB
Liaoningopterus
Lonchodectes-concepts
Lonchodectes
Meilifeilong holotype
Meilifeilong
Nemicolopterus
Nemicolopterus
Ningchengopterus liuae
Ningchengopterus
Phobetor parvis
Noripterus
Nurhachius NT
Nurhachius
Preondactylus apatomerus
Preondactylus
SordesDB
Sordes
Tapejara
Tapejara
TapimpDB
Tupandactylus

Ichnogenera: Pterosaur Footprints

Scientists also study pterosaur footprints, which are called ichnogenera. These footprints give us clues about how pterosaurs walked and moved on the ground.

Genus Authors Year Status Age Location Notes

Agadirichnus

Ambroggi
Lapparent

1954

Valid

uK

Africa

Haenamichnus

Hwang
Huh
et al.

2002

Valid

uK

Asia.

These footprints were more than 5 times larger than Pteraichnus and were likely made by very large pterosaurs.

Kouphichnium

Nopcsa

1923

Misidentification

N/A

N/A

The animal that made these tracks was probably a limulid (like a horseshoe crab), not a pterosaur.

Pteraichnus

Stokes

1957

Valid

uJ

Asia
Europe
N. America

Some scientists once thought these tracks were made by crocodiles, but newer studies have shown they were indeed from pterosaurs.

Purbeckopus

Delair

1963

Nomen dubium

lK

Europe.

This name is doubtful because the fossil isn't clear enough.

Haenamichnuswittonnaish2008
Haenamichnus

Oogenera: Pterosaur Eggs

We know that pterosaurs laid eggs, and some even have tiny pterosaur babies (embryos) inside! However, scientists haven't created special "oogenera" (names for egg types) just for pterosaur eggs yet.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Anexo:Géneros de pterosaurios para niños

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