Ludodactylus
Encyclopedia
Ludodactylus was a genus
of ornithocheirid
pterodactyloid pterosaur
from the Aptian
-age Lower Cretaceous Crato Formation
of Ceará
, Brazil
.
The genus was named by Eberhard Frey et al. in 2003. The type species
is Ludodactylus sibbicki. The genus name is derived from Latin
ludus, "game" and Greek daktylos, "finger". Ludus refers to the fact, long lamented by paleontologists, that many toy
pterosaurs combined teeth with a Pteranodon
-like head crest, while no such creature was known to exist — however Ludodactylus shows exactly this combination of features. "Dactylus", in reference to the characteristic long wing finger, has been a common element in the names of pterosaurs since the first known was named Pterodactylus
. The specific name "sibbicki" is an homage to the paleoartist John Sibbick
, who illustrated Peter Wellnhofer
's The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Pterosaurs.
Ludodactylus is based on holotype
SMNK PAL 3828, a skull missing part of the head crest, that was removed from the plate before the fossil was sold. Unlike other ornithocheirids, it had no premaxilla
ry crest on the snout, but did have a crest at the back of the skull. Frey et al. interpreted the deep mandible as a crest on the lower jaws. Trapped between the rami of the mandible
is a yucca
leaf; Frey suggested that the animal got it caught in its beak
and unsuccessfully tried to dislodge it (the edge of the leaf is frayed), and then possibly died from starvation
or a complication of starving. The skull would have been more than 66 cm (26 in) long. The wing span was estimated at four metres.
Frey et al. in 2003 assigned Ludodactylus to the Ornithocheiridae. In 2007 Frey considered it to be a possible junior synonym of Brasileodactylus
.
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
of ornithocheirid
Ornithocheiridae
Ornithocheiridae is a group of pterosaurs within the suborder Pterodactyloidea. They were among the last pterosaurs to possess teeth.-Classification:Listing of genera after Unwin , except where noted.* Family Ornithocheiridae** ?Aetodactylus...
pterodactyloid pterosaur
Pterosaur
Pterosaurs were flying reptiles of the clade or order Pterosauria. They existed from the late Triassic to the end of the Cretaceous Period . Pterosaurs are the earliest vertebrates known to have evolved powered flight...
from the Aptian
Aptian
The Aptian is an age in the geologic timescale or a stage in the stratigraphic column. It is a subdivision of the Early or Lower Cretaceous epoch or series and encompasses the time from 125.0 ± 1.0 Ma to 112.0 ± 1.0 Ma , approximately...
-age Lower Cretaceous Crato Formation
Crato Formation
The Crato Formation is a geologic formation of Early Cretaceous age in northeastern Brazil's Araripe Basin. It is an important Lagerstätte for palaeontologists. The strata were laid down mostly during the early Albian age, about 108 million years ago, in a shallow inland sea...
of Ceará
Ceará
Ceará is one of the 27 states of Brazil, located in the northeastern part of the country, on the Atlantic coast. It is currently the 8th largest Brazilian State by population and the 17th by area. It is also one of the main touristic destinations in Brazil. The state capital is the city of...
, Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
.
The genus was named by Eberhard Frey et al. in 2003. The type species
Type species
In biological nomenclature, a type species is both a concept and a practical system which is used in the classification and nomenclature of animals and plants. The value of a "type species" lies in the fact that it makes clear what is meant by a particular genus name. A type species is the species...
is Ludodactylus sibbicki. The genus name is derived from Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
ludus, "game" and Greek daktylos, "finger". Ludus refers to the fact, long lamented by paleontologists, that many toy
Toy
A toy is any object that can be used for play. Toys are associated commonly with children and pets. Playing with toys is often thought to be an enjoyable means of training the young for life in human society. Different materials are used to make toys enjoyable and cuddly to both young and old...
pterosaurs combined teeth with a Pteranodon
Pteranodon
Pteranodon , from the Late Cretaceous geological period of North America in present day Kansas, Alabama, Nebraska, Wyoming, and South Dakota, was one of the largest pterosaur genera and had a maximum wingspan of over...
-like head crest, while no such creature was known to exist — however Ludodactylus shows exactly this combination of features. "Dactylus", in reference to the characteristic long wing finger, has been a common element in the names of pterosaurs since the first known was named Pterodactylus
Pterodactylus
Pterodactylus is a genus of pterosaurs, whose members are popularly known as pterodactyls. It was the first to be named and identified as a flying reptile...
. The specific name "sibbicki" is an homage to the paleoartist John Sibbick
John Sibbick
John Sibbick is a British freelance illustrator, perhaps best known for his reconstructions of prehistoric life in several media.Sibbick studied Graphics and Illustration at Guildford College of Art in the south of England...
, who illustrated Peter Wellnhofer
Peter Wellnhofer
Peter Wellnhofer is a German paleontologist at the "Bayerische Staatssammlung fur Paläontologie" in Munich. He is best known for his work on the various fossil specimens of Archaeopteryx or "Urvogel", the first known bird...
's The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Pterosaurs.
Ludodactylus is based on holotype
Holotype
A holotype is a single physical example of an organism, known to have been used when the species was formally described. It is either the single such physical example or one of several such, but explicitly designated as the holotype...
SMNK PAL 3828, a skull missing part of the head crest, that was removed from the plate before the fossil was sold. Unlike other ornithocheirids, it had no premaxilla
Premaxilla
The incisive bone is the portion of the maxilla adjacent to the incisors. It is a pair of small cranial bones at the very tip of the jaws of many animals, usually bearing teeth, but not always. They are connected to the maxilla and the nasals....
ry crest on the snout, but did have a crest at the back of the skull. Frey et al. interpreted the deep mandible as a crest on the lower jaws. Trapped between the rami of the mandible
Mandible
The mandible pronunciation or inferior maxillary bone forms the lower jaw and holds the lower teeth in place...
is a yucca
Yucca
Yucca is a genus of perennial shrubs and trees in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Agavoideae. Its 40-50 species are notable for their rosettes of evergreen, tough, sword-shaped leaves and large terminal panicles of white or whitish flowers. They are native to the hot and dry parts of North...
leaf; Frey suggested that the animal got it caught in its beak
Beak
The beak, bill or rostrum is an external anatomical structure of birds which is used for eating and for grooming, manipulating objects, killing prey, fighting, probing for food, courtship and feeding young...
and unsuccessfully tried to dislodge it (the edge of the leaf is frayed), and then possibly died from starvation
Starvation
Starvation is a severe deficiency in caloric energy, nutrient and vitamin intake. It is the most extreme form of malnutrition. In humans, prolonged starvation can cause permanent organ damage and eventually, death...
or a complication of starving. The skull would have been more than 66 cm (26 in) long. The wing span was estimated at four metres.
Frey et al. in 2003 assigned Ludodactylus to the Ornithocheiridae. In 2007 Frey considered it to be a possible junior synonym of Brasileodactylus
Brasileodactylus
Brasileodactylus is the name assigned to the remains of a pterosaur from the Lower Santana formation of the Aptian of Chapada do Araripe, Ceará, Brazil....
.
External links
- Ludodactylus in The Pterosauria