Pterosaurs Taxonomy

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The Pterosauria are classified firmly into two suborders - the long tailed Rhamphorhynchoids and the short tailed Pterodactyloids.  The classification of each suborder is open to debate, but for the purpose of this presentation, a modified version of the phylogeny of David Unwin's model has been used.  Depending upon the key characteristics used to interpret the Pterosaur associations, there are also other possible and valid taxonomic groupings.

This scheme was updated in February 2011 and may be modified by subsequent discoveries.

Click on the Family links on the left to see the pterosaurs assigned here to each family.


after Unwin 2006

  Order - Pterodactyloidea (Extinct)

      Family - Preondactylidae

Suborder - Rhamphorhynchoidea (Plieninger 1901)

    Infraorder - Macronychoptera
       
Family - Dimorphodontidae

    Infraorder- Caelidracones
       
Family - Anurognathidae

    Infraorder - Lonchognatha
       
Family - Campylognathoidae

    Infraorder - Breviquartossa
       
Family - Rhamphorhynchidae

    Infraorder - Monofenestrata
        Family- Darwinopteridae
        Family- Wukongopteridae

Suborder - Pterodactyloidea (Plieninger 1901)

Superfamily - Ornithocheiroidea
        Family - Istiodactylidae
    Infrafamily - Euornithocheira
            Family - Ornithocheiridae
            Family - Anhangueridae
            Family - Pteranodontidae
            Family - Nyctosauridae

    Infraorder - Lophocratia
        
Family - Kryptodraconae
Superfamily - Ctenochasmatoidea
        Family - Gallodactylidae
    Infrafamily - Euctenochasmatia
            Family - Pterodactylidae
            Family - Ctenochasmatidae

Superfamily - Dsungaripteroidea
        Family - Tendaguripteridae
        Family - Germanodactylidae
        Family - Dsungaripteridae

Superfamily - Azhdarchoidea
        Family - Lonchodectidae
    Infrafamily - Azhdarchoidia
            Family - Tapejaridae
            Family - Azhdarchidae

Unclassified Pterosaurs

Ichnites