| Pterodactylids | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Cast of the sub-adulttype specimen ofPterodactylus antiquus | |
Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Order: | †Pterosauria |
| Suborder: | †Pterodactyloidea |
| Infraorder: | †Archaeopterodactyloidea |
| Clade: | †Pterodactylidae Bonaparte, 1838 |
| Subgroups | |
Pterodactylidae is a controversial group ofpterosaurs. During the 2000s and 2010s, several competing definitions for the variousJurassic pterodactyloid groups were proposed. Pereda-Suberbiolaet al. (2012) used Fabien Knoll's (2000) definition of the name Pterodactylidae.[1] Knoll had defined Pterodactylidae as a clade containing "Pterodactylus antiquus,Ctenochasma elegans, their most recent common ancestor and all its descendants".[2] Using this definition with the analysis conducted by Pereda-Suberbiolaet al. (2012) meant that Ctenochasmatoidea was nested inside Pterodactylidae.[1]
Below is the majority-rule consensus tree found by Pereda-Suberbiolaet al. (2012), showing their preferred definitions of Pterodactylidae andCtenochasmatoidea.[1]
| Pterodactylidae | |
Other researchers, such as David Unwin, have traditionally defined Pterodactylidae in such a way to ensure it is nested within Ctenochasmatoidea instead. In 2003, Unwin defined the same clade (Pterodactylus +Pterodaustro) with the nameEuctenochasmatia. Unwin considered this to be a subgroup within Ctenochasmatoidea, but most analyses since have foundPterodactylus to be more primitive than he thought, making Euctenochasmatia the more inclusive group.[3]