Rhamphorhynchus muensteri is one of the best‐known flying reptiles, represented by >130 well‐preserved fossil specimens, from hatchlings to full adults. The life history of this pterosaur remains controversial as to when in ontogeny they took flight. Here, we assess the growth of these animals based on the lengths of numerous key elements. We show that changes in the skeletal anatomy of this reptile across its post‐hatch size range reveal that R.muensteri exhibited overall near isometric growth in the wings, with slightly negative allometry in the humerus, radius and stronger negative allometry in the fourth metacarpal compared to body length, and slightly positive allometry in the second and third phalanges compared to body length. This pattern is near unique among flying vertebrates and suggests R.muensteri flew soon after hatching. In bats and birds, offspring do not typically fly until nearly adult sized. Conversely, near isometric growth in Rhamphorhynchus suggests it was a precocial flier and that individuals may have inhabited several sequential foraging niches over their lifespan, as some terrestrial and aquatic vertebrates do today.

中文翻译：

---

翼龙Rhamphorhynchus中独特的近等距个体发育表明，幼体可能会飞

Rhamphorhynchus muensteri是最著名的飞行爬行动物之一，代表着从孵化到成年的超过130个保存完好的化石标本。这种翼龙的生活史在何时进入个体发育中仍存在争议。在这里，我们根据许多关键要素的长度来评估这些动物的生长。我们表明，在其孵化后尺寸此爬行动物的骨骼解剖结构的变化范围表明，[R 。孟斯特里展翅的总体等长生长，肱骨，radius骨的曲度略微为负，与掌长相比，第四掌骨的负曲度更强，而第二和第三指骨的曲度与体长则为正正。这种模式是独一无二的附近飞行的脊椎动物中，并建议[R 。孵化后不久，孟斯特里飞了起来。在蝙蝠和鸟类中，后代通常要等到成年后才能飞行。相反，鼠李属的近等轴增长表明这是一种早熟的飞行物，并且个体可能像他们今天的一些陆生和水生脊椎动物一样，在其一生中居住了数个顺序觅食壁ni。