Darwinopterus

Darwinopterus (meaning "Darwin's wing") is a genus of pterosaur, discovered in China and named after biologist Charles Darwin. Between 30 and 40 fossil specimens have been identified, all collected from the Tiaojishan Formation, which dates to the middle Jurassic period, 160.89–160.25 Ma ago. The type species, D. modularis, was described in February 2010. D. modularis was the first known pterosaur to display features of both long-tailed ("rhamphorhynchoid") and short-tailed (pterodactyloid) pterosaurs, and was described as a transitional fossil between the two groups. Three additional species, D. camposi, D. linglongtaensis, and D. robustodens, were described from the same fossil beds in February 2025, December 2010, and June 2011, respectively.

==Description== thumb|left|Restoration of a crested D. modularis Darwinopterus, like its closest relatives, is characterized by its unique combination of basal and derived pterosaurian features. While it had a long tail and other features characteristic of the 'rhamphorhynchoids', it also had distinct pterodactyloid features, such as long vertebrae in the neck and a single skull opening in front of the eyes, the nasoantorbital fenestra (in most 'rhamphorhynchoids', the antorbital fenestra and the nasal opening are separate).