Ctenochasmatidae

Ctenochasmatidae is a group of pterosaurs within the suborder Pterodactyloidea. They are characterized by their distinctive teeth, which are thought to have been used for filter-feeding. Ctenochasmatids lived from the Late Jurassic to the Early Cretaceous periods.

Ctenochasmatids Temporal range: Late Jurassic - Early Cretaceous
Cast of a Ctenochasma elegans specimen
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Order:	†Pterosauria
Suborder:	†Pterodactyloidea
Clade:	†Ctenochasmatoidea
Family:	†Ctenochasmatidae Nopsca, 1928
Type species
†Ctenochasma roemeri Meyer, 1852
Subgroups
†Ardeadactylus? †Balaenognathus †Cathayopterus †Elanodactylus †Forfexopterus †Gladocephaloideus †Kepodactylus †Liaodactylus †Otogopterus †Pterofiltrus †Ctenochasmatinae †Ctenochasma †Pterodaustrini †Beipiaopterus †Eosipterus †Gegepterus †Pterodaustro †Gnathosaurinae †Gnathosaurus †Huanhepterus? †Plataleorhynchus †Tacuadactylus †Moganopterinae †Feilongus †Moganopterus

Ctenochasmatid skulls demonstrating suspension feeding characteristics

The earliest known ctenochasmatid remains date to the Late Jurassic Kimmeridgian age. Previously, a fossil jaw recovered from the Middle Jurassic Stonesfield Slate formation in the United Kingdom, was considered the oldest known. This specimen supposedly represented a member of the family Ctenochasmatidae,[1] though further examination suggested it actually belonged to a teleosaurid stem-crocodilian instead of a pterosaur.[2]