Re: "Pterodactylus" kochi help?

[David Peters <davidrpeters@earthlink.net>]

"Jaime A. Headden" wrote:

> Dave Peters (davidrpeters@earthlink.net) wrote:
>
> <On the contrary, PAUP indicates that G. cristatus and G. rhamphastinus
> are sister taxa, to no surprise. I don't think that's ever been
> questioned.>
>
>   By Dave, on his website, it was questioned. Just not in print, I think.

>>>>>>>
No backtracking here. They are sister taxa without intervening taxa. 
Nevertheless it is my subjective opinion that the second of them is distinct 
enough to merit its own generic name. Well, someday?
>>>>>>>>

>
> <If Nr. 23 is a juvenile of No. 64, then it becomes Germanodactylus kochi.
> And the adult No. 64 likewise becomes G. kochi. Rhamphastinus is dropped.
> We retain Pterodactylus kochi for all the other forms which currently
> carry that genus and species.>
>
>   Because *Pterodactylus* and *P. kochi* are both older than
> *Germanodactylus* or *G. cristatus*, any specimen referal that might imply
> that Germano is the adult form of Ptero, simply drop the name German or
> cristatus. rhamphastinus appears likely to need a new name, or it also
> gets subsumed as a species distinct in Pterodactylus.
>
>  --Pterodactylus
>     |--P. kochi (including G. cristatus)
>     `--G. rhamphastinus
>
>   This is highly speculative, of course, as the two forms have highly
> divergent skull types, but most experts on pterosaurs, including Unwin,
> Bennett, and Wellnhofer, appear to regard *Germanodactylus* as a distinct
> taxon, and somewhat close to Dsungaripteridae, rather than anywhere in a
> monophyly with *Pterodactylus* that would suggest they were even sister
> taa, much less synonymous.
>
>   Cheers,
>
> =====
> Jaime A. Headden
>
>

????
Wait a minute, Jaime, I am not suggesting a monophyly or sisterhood of 
Germanodactylus and Pterodactylus (although if you'll check, Chris Bennett has 
suggested in print that the former are the adults of the latter, now amended on 
his
website). I am suggesting that the holotype of P. kochi Nr. 23, is a juvenile 
related to the Germanodactylids rather than the Pterodactylids.

Remember, it was not so long ago that nearly all juveniles from Solnhofen were 
referred to Pterodactylus. Now we know that some belong to Ctenochasma, 
Cycnorhamphus and Germanodactylus. The sticking point in this case is that 
IMHO, Nr. 23
was mislabeled a long time ago, and the question is: what does one do from this 
point foreword?

Hope this clears up a rather simple issue.

David Peters
St. Louis