A specimen of Rhamphorhynchus with soft tissue preservation, stomach contents and a putative coprolite

PeerJ. 2015 Aug 20:3:e1191. doi: 10.7717/peerj.1191. eCollection 2015.

Abstract

Despite being known for nearly two centuries, new specimens of the derived non-pterodactyloid pterosaur Rhamphorhynchus continue to be discovered and reveal new information about their anatomy and palaeobiology. Here we describe a specimen held in the collections of the Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology, Alberta, Canada that shows both preservation and impressions of soft tissues, and also preserves material interpreted as stomach contents of vertebrate remains and, uniquely, a putative coprolite. The specimen also preserves additional evidence for fibers in the uropatagium.

Keywords: Palaeoecology; Pterosauria; Rhamphorhynchinae; Rhamphorhynchoid.

Grants and funding

The work was supported by donations via Experiment.com and contributions of numerous donors to Project Daspletosaurus. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.