| Dimorphodon Fossil range: Early Jurassic |
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D. For general context see Jurassic. The Early Jurassic (in geology referred to as the Lower Jurassic, originally (and still in Europe the Chordates ( Phylum Chordata) are a group of Animals that includes the Vertebrates together with several closely related Invertebrates Reptiles, or members of the class Reptilia are air-breathing Cold-blooded Vertebrates that have skin covered in scales as opposed to hair or feathers For other meanings see Pterodactyl (disambiguation. Pterosaurs (ˈtɛrəsɔr from the Greek πτερόσαυρος pterosauros The Rhamphorhynchoidea forms one of the two suborders of Pterosaurs and represent a grade of primitive members of this group of flying Reptiles. Sir Richard Owen KCB ( Lancaster, July 20 1804 &ndash December 18 1892) was an English Biologist In Biology, a species is one of the basic units of Biological classification and a Taxonomic rank. macronyx (Buckland, 1829)(type) |
Dimorphodon daiˈmɔː(r)f. ə. dɑn ("Two-form Teeth") was a genus of medium-sized (wing span 1. 6 m. , length of skull 22 cm. ) pterosaur from the Early Jurassic Period (180-170 million years ago). For other meanings see Pterodactyl (disambiguation. Pterosaurs (ˈtɛrəsɔr from the Greek πτερόσαυρος pterosauros The Jurassic is a geologic period and system that extends from about Ma (million years ago to Ma that is from the end of the Triassic to the beginning It was named by paleontologist Richard Owen in 1859. Palaeontology redirects here For the Scientific journal, see Palaeontology (journal. Sir Richard Owen KCB ( Lancaster, July 20 1804 &ndash December 18 1892) was an English Biologist Dimorphodon means "two-form tooth" (Greek di meaning 'two', morphe meaning 'shape' and odon meaning tooth), referring to the fact that it had two distinct types of teeth in its jaws - which is comparatively rare among reptiles. The Ancient Greek language is the historical stage in the development of the Hellenic language family spanning the Archaic (c
It had a large, bulky skull whose weight was reduced by large cavities separated from each other by thin bony partitions. Its structure, reminiscent of the supporting arches of a bridge, prompted Richard Owen to declare that, in far as achieving great strength from light-weight materials was concerned, no vertebrae was more economically constructed. A bridge is a Structure built to span a Gorge, Valley, Road, railroad track, River, Body of water Sir Richard Owen KCB ( Lancaster, July 20 1804 &ndash December 18 1892) was an English Biologist Otherwise, of course, the body structure of Dimorphodon displays many primitive characters, such as a very small brain-pan. The neck was strong and flexible and may have had a membraneous pouch on the under side.
Our knowledge of how Dimorphodon lived is also very small. It probably inhabited coastal regions and had a very varied diet.
Fossil remains have been found in England. Mary Anning made the first Dimorphodon (D. Mary Anning ( May 21, 1799 &ndash March 9, 1847) was an early British Fossil collector and paleontologist. macronyx) discovery, at Lyme Regis in Dorset, UK in 1828. Lyme Regis (ˌlaɪmˈriːdʒɪs is a coastal town in West Dorset, England, situated 25 Miles west of Dorchester and east of Exeter The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located [1] This region of Britain is now a World Heritage Site, dubbed the Jurassic Coast. See also Kingdom of Great Britain Great Britain (Breatainn Mhòr Prydain Fawr Breten Veur Graet Breetain is the larger of the two main islands A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a site (such as a Forest, Mountain, Lake, Desert, Monument, Building, complex The Jurassic Coast is a World Heritage Site on the English Channel coast of southern England. Dimorphodon was approximately 1 metre (3. The metre or meter is a unit of Length. It is the basic unit of Length in the Metric system and in the International 3 ft) long, with a 1. A foot (plural feet or foot; symbol or abbreviation ft or sometimes &prime – the prime symbol) is a non-SI unit 4 meter (4. 6 ft) wingspan. The wingspan (or just span) of an airplane or a Bird, is the distance from the left wingtip to the right wingtip [2]
It has been argued that Dimorphodon was a biped, though fossilised track remains of other pterosaurs (ichnites) show a quadrupedal gait while on the ground. Bipedalism is a form of Terrestrial locomotion where an organism moves by means of its two rear limbs An ichnite ( Greek " ιχνιον " ( ichnion) - a track trace or footstep is a fossilised footprint Quadrupedalism (from Latin meaning "four legs" is a form of land animal locomotion using four legs. Its teeth and jaws suggest it was, like most pterosaurs, a piscivore (fish eater), although until quite recently it was suggested that it hunted small land animals. A Piscivore is a carnivorous animal which lives on eating Fish. Most depictions give it a puffin-like 'beak'. Puffin describes any of four Auk species (or alcids) in the Bird genus Fratercula (Latin little brother — probably a reference
Dimorphodon lived approximately 200 million to 180 million years ago.
See also
References
- Benes, Josef. Mary Anning ( May 21, 1799 &ndash March 9, 1847) was an early British Fossil collector and paleontologist. Prehistoric Animals and Plants. Pg. 158. Prague: Artia, 1979.
- ^ Wellnhofer, Peter [1991] (1996). Peter Wellnhofer is a German Paleontologist at the "Bayerische Staatssammlung fur Paläontologie" in Munich. The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Pterosaurs. New York: Barnes and Noble Books, 69. ISBN 0-7607-0154-7.
- ^ Wellnhofer, Peter [1991] (1996). Peter Wellnhofer is a German Paleontologist at the "Bayerische Staatssammlung fur Paläontologie" in Munich. The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Pterosaurs. New York: Barnes and Noble Books, 71. ISBN 0-7607-0154-7.
External links
- Dimorphodon macronyx at the Pterosaur Database
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