1810 in paleontology

none 1810 paleontology science 1810 Reptiles In contrast to Cuvier and Blumenbach, Samuel Thomas von Soemmering interpreted Collini's 1784 fossil as a mammal. Specifically, he interpreted it as an unusual bat, which morphologically linked mammals with birds. He named this strange creature Ornithocephalus in his public lecture, which was published in 1812. Soemmering may have interpreted this series of forms in an evolutionary sense, following the early evolutionary ideas of Jean-Baptiste de Lamarck. Soemmering's analysis of the specimen was blemished by anatomical errors, like the misidentifications of bones. Soemmering agreed with Cuvier (who named it Pterodactylus) that the creature was a flying insectivore, however. Soemmering argued that pterosaurs walked on all fours like bats when on the ground. His advocacy for this interpretation of pterosaur terrestrial gait has been regarded as the beginning of a multi-century debate on the subject. wellnhofer-2008 Wellnhofer, Peter 2008 A short history of pterosaur research. Zitteliana B 28 7–19 References Category:1800s in paleontology Paleontology