Out of This World II Tuesday, 18 April 2023, 4pm

923* PTEROSAUR FOSSIL Ramphorhynchus gemmingi Late Jurassic, 145–164 million years Eichstaett, Germany, Solnhofen Limestone 124 × 65 cm (slab) 88 × 43 cm (fossil) This pterosaur could reach a wingspan of up to 6 ft (1.8 m) and had a long, straight tail about 8 in (20 cm) long that ended in a diamond-shaped rudder. This was probably used for steering during flight. Rhamphorhynchus is the ‘type species’ and thus one of the best-known representatives of the Rhamphorhynchinae. It had a long, narrow jaw with pointed, forward- protruding teeth. The lower jaw was slightly curved upwards in front. The teeth were probably specifically designed to catch and hold fish. Some fossil finds still show imprints of fish scales and bones in the area of the stomach. One detail about Rhamphorhynchus and its cousins that sets it apart from other fossils of ancient reptiles are the spectacularly preserved specimens, often discovered at the Solnhofen fossil beds in Germany. Some of this pterosaur‘s remains are so complete that they display not only its very detailed bone structure, but the outlines of its internal organs as well. The only creature to have left comparably intact remains was another Solnhofen discovery, Archaeopteryx – which, unlike Rhamphorhynchus, was technically a dinosaur that occupied a place on the evolutionary line leading to the first prehistoric birds. | 26 Out of This World | Natural History, Space Exploration & Entertainment Memorabilia