Pterodactylus woodwardi Owen, 1861

Rodrigues, Taissa & Kellner, Alexander Wilhelm Armin, 2013, Taxonomic review of the Ornithocheirus complex (Pterosauria) from the Cretaceous of England, ZooKeys 308, pp. 1-112 : 40-42

Pterodactylus woodwardi Owen, 1861 (nomen dubium) Fig. 15E-H

Pterodactylus woodwardi Owen: Owen 1861: p. 4, pl. II, fig. 3

"Ptenodactylus" woodwardi (Owen): Seeley 1869: p. xvi [disclaimed]

Ornithocheirus woodwardi (Owen): Seeley 1870: p. 125

Ornithochirus [sic](?) simus (Owen): Lydekker 1888: p. 16

Criorhynchus woodwardi (Owen): Hooley 1914: p. 536

Criorhynchus woodwardi (Owen): Arthaber 1922: p. 18

Criorhynchus simus (Owen): Wellnhofer 1978: p. 60

Coloborhynchus sedgwickii (Owen): Unwin 2001: p. 194, table 1

Holotype.

CAMSM B 54433a, anterior portion of the rostrum ( Fig. 15E-H ).

Type locality.

Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, England.

Type horizon.

Cambridge Greensand (Cenomanian; fossils Albian in age).

Description.

The holotype of Pterodactylus woodwardi comprises a fragment of the anterior portion of the tip of the rostrum. It is quite incomplete, consisting mostly of a transverse section. The first pair of teeth is located anteriorly, and the second pair faces anteroventrally. There is no premaxillary crest at the anteriormost tip of the rostrum, but the presence of a more posteriorly located crest cannot be ruled out. The specimen is very fragmentary and several important characters cannot be observed on it. Therefore, it is considered a nomen dubium.

Remarks.

Pterodactylus woodwardi was listed as Ornithocheirus woodwardi by Seeley (1870). Lydekker (1888) also referred it to Ornithocheirus , but as Ornithocheirus simus (with the misspelling Ornithochirus ). Wellnhofer (1978) considered it synonymous with Criorhynchus [= Ornithocheirus ] simus. Hooley (1914) referred it as Criorhynchus woodwardi . Most recently, Unwin (2001) synonymized it with Coloborhynchus [= Camposipterus(?) ] sedgwickii.

Figures

Figure 15. A-D Pterodactylus fittoni, holotype CAMSM B 54423 (Albian, Cambridge Greensand), anterior part of the rostrum. A right lateral view B respective line drawing C ventral view D respective line drawing. E-H Ornithocheirus woodwardi, holotype CAMSM B 54433 a (Albian, Cambridge Greensand), anterior part of the rostrum E anterior view F respective line drawing G right lateral view H respective line drawing. Abbreviations: m - maxillae, pm - premaxillae, prid - palatal ridge. Arrows and numbers indicate alveoli or teeth and their respective position. Scale bar = 10 mm.