This list of pterosaurs is a comprehensive listing of all genera that have ever been included in the order Pterosauria, excluding purely vernacular terms. The list includes all commonly accepted genera, but also genera that are now considered invalid, doubtful (nomen dubium), or were not formally published (nomen nudum), as well as junior synonyms of more established names, and genera that are no longer considered pterosaurian. The list currently includes genera.
Scope and terminology There is no official, canonical list of pterosaur genera, but the most thorough attempts can be found at the Pterosauria section of Mikko Haaramo's Phylogeny Archive, the Genus Index at Mike Hanson's The Pterosauria, supplemented by the Pterosaur Species List, and in the fourth supplement of Donald F. Glut's Dinosaurs: The Encyclopedia series.
Authors and year The authors column lists the authors of the formal description responsible for the erection of the genus listed. They are not necessarily the same as the authors of the type species as sometimes a species from one genus is determined sufficiently distinct to warrant the erection of a new genus to house it. If this is the case, only the latter authors will be listed. The year column notes the year the description was published.
Status Naming conventions and terminology follow the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature. Technical terms used include: Junior synonym: A name which describes the same taxon as a previously published name. If two or more genera are formally designated and the type specimens are later assigned to the same genus, the first to be published (in chronological order) is the senior synonym, and all other instances are junior synonyms. Senior synonyms are generally used, except by special decision of the ICZN, but junior synonyms cannot be used again, even if deprecated. Junior synonymy is often subjective, unless the genera described were both based on the same type specimen. Nomen nudum (Latin for "naked name"): A name that has appeared in print but has not yet been formally published by the standards of the ICZN. Nomina nuda (the plural form) are invalid, and are therefore not italicized as a proper generic name would be. If the name is later formally published, that name is no longer a nomen nudum and will be italicized on this list. Often, the formally published name will differ from any nomina nuda that describe the same specimen. Preoccupied name: A name that is formally published, but which has already been used for another taxon. This second use is invalid (as are all subsequent uses) and the name must be replaced. As preoccupied names are not valid generic names, they will also go unitalicized on this list. Nomen dubium (Latin for "dubious name"): A name describing a fossil with no unique diagnostic features. As this can be an extremely subjective and controversial designation, this term is not used on this list.
Age The age column denotes the epoch of geologic time to which the fossils date. Genera that are invalid, misidentified, or otherwise do not represent a valid pterosaur are listed as age N/A because there was never a time in which a pterosaur by that generic name actually lived.
Location and notes The location column designates the countries where remains of the relevant genus have been found. Genera that are invalid, misidentified, or otherwise do not represent a valid pterosaur are listed as location N/A because there was never a place in which a pterosaur by that generic name actually lived. The notes column is a collection of annotations on the scientific significance and taxonomic history of listed genera, as well as elaborations on the information presented in other columns.
The list
Genera Genus Authors Year Status Age Location NotesImagesAerodactylusVidovic & Martill2014DisputedLate JurassicAerodracoHolgado & Pêgas2020ValidEarly Cretaceous to Late Cretaceous()AerotitanNovas et al.2012ValidLate CretaceousAetodactylusMyers2010 ValidLate CretaceousAfrotapejaraMartill et al.2020 ValidLate CretaceousAidacharNesov1981 MisidentificationN/AN/AActually a teleost fish whose remains were originally mistaken for jaw fragments of a ctenochasmatid. The mistake was corrected in 1986. Akharhynchus Jacobs, Smith & Zouhri 2024 Valid Early Cretaceous? to Late Cretaceous AlamodactylusAndres & Myers2013ValidLate CretaceousAlanqaIbrahim et al.2010 ValidLate CretaceousAlbadracoSolomon et al.2020ValidLate CretaceousAlcioneLongrich et al.2018 ValidLate CretaceousAllkaruenCodorniú et al.2016ValidEarly JurassicAltmuehlopterusVidovic & Martill2017ValidLate JurassicAmblydectesHooley1914ValidLate Cretaceous()AngustinaripterusHe et al.1983 ValidMiddle JurassicAnhangueraCampos & Kellner1985 ValidEarly Cretaceous to Late CretaceousAnurognathusDöderlein, L. (1923). "Anurognathus ammoni ein neuer Flugsaurier." Sitzungsberichte der Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftlichen Abteilung der Bayerischen Akademie der Wissenschaften zu München, 1923, 117–164.Döderlein1923 ValidLate JurassicApatomerusWilliston1903MisidentificationN/AN/AProbably a misidentified plesiosaurApatorhamphusMcPhee et al.2020ValidLate CretaceousAralazhdarchoAverianov2007 ValidLate CretaceousArambourgianiaNesov, L.A., Kanznyshkina, L.F., and Cherepanov, G.O. (1987). "Dinosaurs, crocodiles and other archosaurs from the Late mesozoic of central Asia and their place in ecosystems." Abstracts of the 33rd session of the All-Union Palaeontological Society, Leningrad, pp. 46–47. [In Russian].Nessov1989 ValidLate Cretaceous? ?AraripedactylusWellnhofer1977 Dubious?Early CretaceousAraripesaurusPrice1971 Dubious?Early CretaceousArchaeoistiodactylusLü & Fucha2010 ValidMiddle JurassicArcticodactylusKellner2015ValidLate TriassicArdeadactylusBennett2013ValidLate JurassicArgentinadracoKellner & Calvo2017 ValidLate CretaceousArthurdactylusFrey & Martill1994 ValidEarly CretaceousAurorazhdarchoFrey, Meyer & Tischlinger2011 DisputedLate JurassicAussiedracoKellner, Rodrigues & Costa2011 ValidEarly CretaceousAustriadactylusDalla Vecchia et al.2002 ValidLate TriassicAustriadracoKellner2015ValidLate TriassicAvgodectesPeters2004Junior synonymN/AN/AProbable junior synonym of HaopterusAymberedactylusPêgas et al.2016ValidEarly CretaceousAzhdarchoNesov1984 ValidLate Cretaceous? Bakiribu Pêgas et al. 2025 Misidentification? Early Cretaceous Originally described as a ctenochasmatid pterosaur closely related to Pterodaustro, but may in fact be an amiid fishBakonydracoŐsi, Weishampel & Jianu2005ValidLate CretaceousBalaenognathusMartill et al.2023ValidLate JurassicBanguelaHeadden & Campos2015ValidEarly CretaceousSubjective junior synonym of ThalassodromeusBarbaridactylusLongrich et al.2018 ValidLate CretaceousBarbosaniaElgin & Frey2011ValidEarly CretaceousBatrachognathusRyabinin1948 ValidLate JurassicBeipiaopterusLü2003 ValidEarly CretaceousBelonochasmaBroili1939MisidentificationN/AN/ASubsequently found to be a reptile of uncertain affinitiesBellubrunnusHone et al.2012ValidLate JurassicBennettazhiaNessov1991ValidEarly CretaceousBergamodactylusKellner2015Junior synonymN/AN/AJunior synonym of Carniadactylus.BogoluboviaNessov & Yarkov1989ValidLate CretaceousBoreopterusLü & Ji2005 ValidEarly CretaceousBrachytrachelusGiebel1850PreoccupiedN/AN/APreoccupied name; now known as Scaphognathus.BrasileodactylusKellner, A. W. A. (1984). "Ocorrencia de uma mandibula de pterosauria (Brasileodactylus araripensis, nov. gen.; nov. sp.) na Formacao Santana, Cretaceo da Chapada do Araripe, Ceara-Brasil." Anais XXXIII Cong. Brasil. de Geol, 578–590. Rio de Janeiro.Kellner1984ValidEarly CretaceousCacibupteryxGasparini, Fernández & de la Fuente2004 ValidLate JurassicCaelestiventusBritt et al.2018 ValidLate TriassicCaiuajaraManzig et al.2014ValidEarly CretaceousCamposipterusRodrigues & Kellner2013ValidEarly Cretaceous()CampylognathoidesStrand1928ValidEarly Jurassic?CampylognathusPlieninger, F. 1895 "Campylognathus Zitteli, ein neuer Flugsaurier aus dem obersten Lias Schwabens", Paläontographica 41, 193–222 & pl. 19.Plieninger1894 PreoccupiedN/AN/APreoccupied name; now known as Campylognathoides.CarniadactylusDalla Vecchia2009ValidLate TriassicCascocaudaYang et al.2022ValidMiddle Jurassic to Late JurassicCathayopterusWang & Zhou2006ValidEarly CretaceousCaulkicephalusSteel et al.2005ValidEarly Cretaceous()CaupedactylusKellner2013ValidEarly CretaceousCaviramusFröbisch & Fröbisch2006 ValidLate TriassicCearadactylusLeonardi & Borgomanero1985Valid?Early CretaceousPossible junior synonym of Brasileodactylus Ceoptera Martin-Silverstone et al. 2024 Valid Middle Jurassic