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Rhamphorhynchus was a long-tailed primitive pterosaur of the Jurassic period. The name means 'curving snout'. Only seven inches long but with a wingspan of 1 metre, it was less specialized than the later pterodactyls. It had a long tail stiffened with ligaments which ended in a diamond-shaped rudder.
Rhamphorhynchus probably ate fish and it is believed that one of the ways it hunted was by dragging its beak in the water, catching fish, and tossing them into its throat pouch, a structure similar to that of pelicans, which has been preserved in some fossils.
Although foosils have been found in England, the best preserved come from the Solnhofen quarry in Bavaria; many of these fossils preserve not only the bones but impressions of soft tissues such as the wings and tail.
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Rhamporhyncus is also a genus of orchid (family Orchidaceae).
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