Phylogenetic interrelationships, temporal ranges and general bone histological characters of different members of Pterosauria.

<p>Taxa are specified at generic or family level. Taxa that have been histologically investigated so far are framed in rectangles. Those framed by rectangles of solid line have predominantly fibrolamellar bone of varying vascularity degree in the majority of the cortex, occasionally with LAGs and EFS indicating dramatic slowing down of growth in late ontogenetic stages, in which the onset of flight may have occurred. The two genera distinguished by frames of broken lines, <i>Rhamphorhynchus</i> and the ctenochasmatid <i>Pterodaustro</i> differ from the latter in revealing fibrolamellar bone only in juvenile stages and parallel-fibred bone with LAGs in later stages of development. We hypothesize that the early slowing down of growth in these genera is due to the relatively early onset of powered flight. Phylogenetic interrelationships without implications for divergence times are modified after <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0031392#pone.0031392-DallaVecchia1" target="_blank">[15]</a> for non-pterodactyloids, and after <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0031392#pone.0031392-Padian3" target="_blank">[66]</a> for Pterodactyloidea. Temporal ranges and chart are modified after <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0031392#pone.0031392-Andres1" target="_blank">[68]</a>–<a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0031392#pone.0031392-si2" target="_blank">[70]</a>.