Schaudiberg quarry, Mühlheim, Germany

Name: A RARE JURASSIC FLYING LIZARD
Brand: Schaudiberg quarry, Mühlheim, Germany
Price: 40000.00 GBP
Availability: OutOfStock

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GBP 60,000 - GBP 90,000

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A RARE JURASSIC FLYING LIZARD

Schaudiberg quarry, Mühlheim, Germany

From the Mörnsheim layers of the Tithonian, late Jurassic (145-152 million years ago), a disarticulated Pterodactyloidea with anatomical and biometric characters of both long-tailed (rhamphorhynchoid) and short-tailed (pterodactyloid) Pterosaurs, in original matrix with restorations. With a reconstruction made from castings of the fossil with additional molded elements, set into limestone slab.

Fossil: 14¹⁄₈ x 14¹⁄₈ x ³⁄₄in. (36 x 36 x 2cm.)
Reconstruction: 23⁵⁄₈ x 22¹⁄₂ x ³⁄₄in. (60 x 57 x 2cm.)

Rauhut, O. 'Ein "Rhamphodactylus" aus der Mörnsheim-Formation von Mühlheim' in Freunde der Bayerischen Staatssammlung für Paläontologie und Historische Geologie e.V., Jahresbericht und Mitteilungen.' (2012) 40: 69-74.

Tischlinger, H. & Frey, E. 2014. 'Ein neuer Pterosaurier mit Mosaikmerkmalen basaler und pterodactyoider Pterosaurier aus dem Ober-Kimmeridgium von Painten (Oberpfalz, Deutschland) [A new pterosaur with moasic characters of basal and pterodactyloid Pterosauria from the Upper Kimmeridgian of Painten (Upper Palatinate, Germany)]' in Archaeopteryx. (2014) 31: 1-13.

This lot has been imported from outside of the UK for sale and placed under the Temporary Admission regime. Import VAT is payable at 5% on the hammer price. VAT at 20% will be added to the buyer’s premium but will not be shown separately on our invoice.
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Conditions of Sale
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This lot is offered by Christie Manson & Woods Ltd

Brought to you by

James HyslopHead of Department, Science & Natural History

A Christie's specialist may contact you to discuss this lot or to notify you if the condition changes prior to the sale.

jhyslop@christies.com +44 (0) 20 7752 3205

View condition report

Lot Essay

The Pterosaurs, Greek for 'winged lizards', first appeared in the late Triassic (circa 225 million years ago), and went extinct at the end of the Cretaceous (66 million years ago) at the end of the age of the Dinosaurs. These flying reptiles would have soared above their contemporaries and it is a curious thought to imagine this undescribed Pterosaur, now presented in original matrix, to have once glided across a blue sky, observing from a birds-eye-view the landscape which we now know to be Southern Germany.

At first glance, the state of decay and some missing diagnostic elements makes the identification of the specimen difficult. At a closer look, the specimen strongly resembles a pterosaur that was nicknamed 'Rhamphodactylus' by Rauhut (2012; BSPG 2011 I 133), which also comes from Schaudiberg (Mörnsheim Formation) and a second, slightly older one from the late Kimmeridgian (Painten Formation) referred to as a 'pro-pterodactyloid' pterosaur by Tischlinger and Frey (2014).

When viewed on its own, this momento mori, in original matrix, tantalizes and teases the viewer, provoking one to guess what face lies behind this disarrayed puzzle... Visualizing and rendering present this curious creature, this fascinating specimen is offered alongside a superb reconstruction of the flying reptile, drawing back the curtain on a profile which has remained a secret for over 145 million years, until now.