Kingdom Animalia Class Reptilia Suborder †Pterodactyloidea Rank Superfamily | Phylum Chordata Order †Pterosauria Clade †Lophocratia | |
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Similar Dsungaripteridae, Ornithocheiroidea, Ctenochasmatoidea, Germanodactylus, Ctenochasmatidae | ||
Dsungaripteroidea is a group of pterosaurs within the suborder Pterodactyloidea.
Contents
Evolutionary history
The earliest known fossils attributed to this group are from the Kimmeridgian-age Upper Jurassic Argiles d'Octeville Formation of France, dated to around 155 million years ago, and belonging to the species Normannognathus wellnhoferi.
Classification
The Dsungaripteroidea was defined in 2003 by David Unwin. Unwin made Dsungaripteroidea the most inclusive clade containing both Dsungaripterus weii and Germanodactylus cristatus. Unwin at that time considered those two species to be close relatives. However, more recent studies have shown Germanodactylus to be much more primitive, either an archaeopterodactyloid or a primitive member of the Eupterodactyloidea. This makes Dsgaripteroidea a much larger group.