A recent study discussing the group considered the Anhangueridae to be typified by a premaxillary crest and a lateral expansion in the distal rostrum.

Below is cladogram following a topology recovered by Brian Andres, using the most recent iteration of his data set.

The analysis found most of the ornithocheirids falling into this family, while Ornithocheirus itself was recovered as a basal member of Ornithocheirae.

[5] Hamipterus Iberodactylus Tropeognathus Coloborhynchus Siroccopteryx Uktenadactylus Caulkicephalus Guidraco Ludodactylus Anhanguera Liaoningopterus Cearadactylus Maaradactylus The clagogram below is reproduced from Richards et al., (2023), who based their data matrix on the data matrix in Holgado and Pêgas, (2020).

[6] Aerodraco Coloborhynchus Nicorhynchus Uktenadactylus Ludodactylus Caulkicephalus Guidraco Liaoningopterus Cearadactylus Maaradactylus