Bergamodactylus

Berg-am-o-dak-te-lus.
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John Stewart

Paleoecologist

John Stewart is a distinguished paleoecologist whose work has significantly advanced our understanding of prehistoric ecosystems. With over two decades dedicated to unearthing fossils across Asia and Africa

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Name

Bergamodactylus.

Phonetic

Berg-am-o-dak-te-lus.

Named By

A.‭ ‬W.‭ ‬A.‭ ‬Kellner‭ ‬-‭ ‬2015.

Classification

Chordata,‭ ‬Reptilia,‭ ‬Pterosauia,‭ ‬Campylognathoididae.

Diet

Piscivore.

Species

B.‭ ‬wildi‭

Size

Wingspan of the holotype estimated at about‭ ‬46.5‭ ‬centimetres across.

Known locations

Italy‭ ‬-‭ ‬Zorzino Limestone Formation.

Time Period

Norian of the Triassic.

Fossil representation

Skull and partial post cranial skeleton preserved on a slab.

In Depth

       The holotype specimen of Bergamodactylus was first described as a juvenile of the genus Eudimorphodon in‭ ‬1978.‭ ‬A new study published in‭ ‬2015‭ ‬by Kellner revealed that this specimen was actually different enough from Eudimorphodon to warrant its own genus,‭ ‬hence the creation of Bergamodactylus.‭ ‬With a wingspan estimate of the holotype at about forty-six and a half centimetres,‭ ‬Bergamodactylus was small for a pterosaur,‭ ‬though the holotype individual was of a sub adult,‭ ‬so older full adults were possibly a little bit larger.‭ ‬At the time of writing Bergamodactylus is classed within the Campylognathoididae group of pterosaurs,‭ ‬and the genus‭ ‬holds a noted similarity to‭ ‬another pterosaur genus called Carniadactylus,‭ ‬though there is no question about the genera being‭ ‬separate.

Further Reading

-‭ ‬Die Flugsaurier‭ (‬Reptilia,‭ ‬Pterosauria‭) ‬aus der Oberen Trias von Cene bei Bergamo,‭ ‬Italien.‭ ‬-‭ ‬Bolletino della Societa Paleontologica Italiana,‭ ‬17‭ (‬2‭)‬:‭ ‬176-256.‭ ‬-‭ ‬R.‭ ‬Wild‭ ‬-‭ ‬1978. -‭ ‬Comments on Triassic pterosaurs with discussion about ontogeny and description of new taxa.‭ ‬-‭ ‬Anais da Academia Brasileira de Ci�ncias‭ ‬87‭(‬2‭)‬:669-689.‭ ‬-‭ ‬A.‭ ‬W.‭ ‬A.‭ ‬Kellner‭ ‬-‭ ‬2015. – Comments on Triassic pterosaurs with a commentary on the ‘ontogenetic stages’ of kellner (2015) and the validity of bergamodactylus wildi. – Rivista Italiana di Paleontologia e Stratigrafia (Research in Paleontology and Stratigraphy). – Fabio M. Dalla Vecchia – 2018.

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