The Scaphognathus – Sordes connection
Today:
two little ‘Scaphognathus‘ (Fig 1) specimens half as tall as the holotype are presented. These two (SMNS 59395 and the Maxberg specimen) never appear on academic cladograms, perhaps because they were originally considered juveniles based on size.
We now know actual juveniles were virtually identical to adults, even at hatching. So any differences must be phylogenetic. These two little scaphs left no descendants after analysis.
But wait! There’s more!
Another only slightly smaller descendant of Scaphognathus is Sordes (Fig 1). This taxon gave rise to most of the pterodactyloid-grade pterosaurs via wukongopterids = darwinopterids.
Prior to the discovery and publication
of Darwinopterus and kin, the Maxberg specimen (Fig 1) nested basal to cycnorhamphids + ornithocheirids in the large pterosaur tree. Note the rounder rostral tip. The SMNS 5935 specimen (Fig 1) nested basal to pterodacytids + germanodactylids. Note the sharper rostral tip.
This all changed with the addition of Darwinopterus and kin.
References
Bennett SC 2004. New information on the pterosaur Scaphognathus crassirostris and the pterosaurian cervical series. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, 24: 38A
Goldfuss GA 1830. Pterodactylus crassirostris. Isis von Oken, Jena pp. 552–553.
Henkemeier N, Jáger KRK and Sander PM 2023. Redescription of soft tissue preservation in the holotype of Scaphognathus crassirostris (Goldfuß, 1831) using reflectance transformation imaging. Palaeontologia Electronica26(2):a16. https://doi.org/10.26879/1070
Wellnhofer P 1975a. Teil I. Die Rhamphorhynchoidea (Pterosauria) der Oberjura-Plattenkalke Süddeutschlands. Allgemeine Skelettmorphologie. Paleontographica A 148: 1-33. 1975b. Teil II. Systematische Beschreibung. Paleontographica A 148: 132-186. 1975c.Teil III. Paläokolgie und Stammesgeschichte. Palaeontographica 149: 1-30.
reptileevolution.com/large-pterosaur-tree
Source: https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/2026/11/05/the-scaphognathus-sordes-connection/
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