Pterodactylus fittoni Owen, 1859

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

Pterodactylus fittoni Owen, 1859 (nomen dubium) Fig. 15A-D

Pterodactylus fittoni Owen: Owen 1859: p. 4, pl. I, fig. 3

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

Ornithocheirus fittoni (Owen): Seeley 1870: p. 118

Ornithochirus [sic] fittoni (Owen): Lydekker 1888: p. 15

Ornithocheirus fittoni (Owen): Hooley 1914: p. 535

Ornithocheirus fittoni (Owen): Arthaber 1922: p. 17

Ornithocheirus fittoni (Owen): Wellnhofer 1978: p. 57

Anhanguera fittoni (Owen): Unwin 2001: p. 194, fig. 10F-G, table 1

Holotype.

CAMSM B54423, anterior portion of the rostrum ( Fig. 15A-D ).

Type locality.

Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, England.

Type horizon.

Cambridge Greensand (Cenomanian; fossils Albian in age).

Description.

CAMSM B54423 is a fragment of the anterior portion of the premaxillae and maxillae, lacking the anteriormost end. It is likely that the first pair of alveoli is not preserved ( Unwin 2001, contra Owen 1859), as small and anteriorly located first pair of alveoli is common among Cambridge Greensand pterosaurs. This possibility becomes more likely when Pterodactylus fittoni is compared with Ornithocheirus enchorhynchus : both possess similar structure and size, but the latter has the first pair of alveoli preserved. CAMSM B54423 is low dorsoventrally and shows no signs of an anterior expansion or a premaxillary crest. However, these absences could be due to poor preservation as the specimen is fragmentary; for instance, the presence of a posteriorly located crest as in Cimoliopterus cuvieri cannot be ruled out. Pterodactylus fittoni shares with Cimoliopterus cuvieri a low tip of the snout, the absence of an anterior expansion, a dorsally curved palate and, if the first preserved pair of alveoli is actually the second pair, a palatal ridge extending back to the third pair of alveoli. CAMSM B54423 differs from Cimoliopterus cuvieri in the height of the rostrum and in that the tip of the rostrum is wider than high; this last feature could be due to the fracture of the tip. In conclusion, Pterodactylus fittoni cannot be excluded from Cimoliopterus cuvieri but it also cannot be definitely referred to that species and therefore it is considered here a nomen dubium.

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.