Abstract
A statistical and morphological study of the pterosaurRhamphorhynchusfrom the Solnhofen Limestone of Germany shows that specimens fall into discrete size-classes that are year-classes resulting from seasonal mortality or preservation of specimens. Taxonomic characters used in the past to separate species ofRhamphorhynchusare all related to size and ontogeny, and all specimens belong to a single species,R. muensteri.Thus, the collections ofRhamphorhynchusprovide an unequaled record of the growth and development of a Jurassic rhamphorhynchoid pterosaur.Rhamphorhynchusdid not have rapid determinate growth; the growth rate was comparable to that of extant crocodilians, and growth continued over the course of at least three years after individuals began to fly.
Publisher
Cambridge University Press (CUP)
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