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

The original discovery and classification of Rhamphorhynchus is a case study in well-meaning confusion. After it was unearthed in 1825, this pterosaur was classified as a species of Pterodactylus, which at the time was also known by the now-discarded genus name Ornithocephalus (‘bird head’). Twenty years later, Ornithocephalus reverted to Pterodactylus, and in 1861 the famous British naturalist Richard Owen promoted P. muensteri to the genus Rhamphorhynchus. Presented here is an exceptional specimen of a Ramphorhynchus, in an attractive stone slab. The large amount of original bone material and the overall quality of preparation makes this example a fossil treat to behold. Source: Strauss, Bob. ‘Rhamphorhynchus.’ ThoughtCo, Feb. 16, 2021, thoughtco.com/rhamphorhynchus-1091599. CHF 70 000 / 90 000 (€ 70 000 / 90 000) | 27