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Early Jurassic Pterosaurs

The Lower Jurassic period started about 190 million years ago and the United Kingdom stages are all classified as Lias.

Upper Lias
Toarcian

Bridport Sand and Down Cliff Clay (Dorset)
Peak Shale and Alum Shale Series (Yorkshire)
Jet Rock Series and Grey Shales (Yorkshire)
Marlstone Rock Bed
Middle Lias
Late Pliensbachian (Domerian)

Marlstone Rock Bed
Thorncomb Sands and Down Cliff sands (Dorset)
Starfish Bed, Eype Clay and Three Tiers (Dorset)
Lower Lias
Early Pliensbachian (Carixian)
Sinemurian

Hettangian

Green Ammonite Beds (Dorset)
Belemnite Marls (Dorset)
Black Marl (Dorset)
Shale-with-Beef (Dorset)
Blue Lias
Upper Watchet Beds

The United Kingdom has a limited number of pterosaur fossils from this timescale.  The most significant being Dimorphodon macronyx from the Early Lias and Blue Lias of Dorset and Gloucestershire.  There is also an important skull fossil, Dorygnathus Purdoni, from the Late Lias Alum Shale of Yorkshire.  Other Early Jurassic pterosaur remains are fragmentary.

The Late Lias in Germany has also yielded significant pterosaur fossils.  India and Arizona, U.S.A. are also sites where Late Jurassic pterosaur remains have been found.


The position of the continents about 180ma ago

Dimorphodontidae

Dimorphodon macronyx

Rhamphorhynchinae

Dorygnathus banthensis
Dorygnathus purdoni

Campylognathoides

Campylognathus liassicus
Campylognathus zitteli
Campylognathus indicus
Campylognathus sp.

Uncertain Classification

Areripedactylus dehmi
Rhamphinion jenkinsi

Ichnites

Antipus flexiloquus