Rhamphorhynchus ("beak snout") is a genus of long-tailed pterosaurs in the Jurassic period. Less specialized than contemporary, short-tailed pterodactyloid pterosaurs such as Pterodactylus, it had a long tail, stiffened with ligaments, which ended in a characteristic soft-tissue tail vane. The mouth of Rhamphorhynchus housed needle-like teeth, which were angled forward, with a curved, sharp, beak-like tip lacking teeth, indicating a diet mainly of fish; indeed, fish and cephalopod remains are frequently found in Rhamphorhynchus abdominal contents, as well as in their coprolites. The best preserved Rhamphorhynchus specimens come from the Solnhofen limestone of Bavaria in Germany. Disputed incomplete specimens have been found in England, Portugal, Spain, and Tanzania.
Rhamphorhynchus in Chicxulub Asteroid Missed[]
Gulls (a kind of bird) and ramphies (a kind of terry) perpetually lurked at the harbor of Faraway Town, on the hunt for scraps and fish. There were no fatter birds or terries than in Faraway Town. There was so much to eat there, that people didn't begrudge them their thievery, or not very much, anyhow.
See also[]
- Pteranodon, a large Cretaceous pterosaur.
- Axehead, a fantasy pterosaur in "The Mrem Go West."
- Leatherwing, another fictional pterosaur from the same story.
| |||||||||||