Pteranodon Fossil range: Mid-Late Cretaceous
Pteranodon sternbergi
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Sauropsida Order: Pterosauria Suborder: Pterodactyloidea Superfamily: Ornithocheiroidea Family: Pteranodontidae Genus: Pteranodon Marsh, 1876
Species
P. longiceps (type) P. sternbergi

Pteranodon (from Greek πτερ- "wing" and αν-οδων "toothless"), from the Late Cretaceous (santonian-campanian, 85-82 million years ago) of North America (Kansas, Alabama, Nebraska, Wyoming, South Dakota) was one of the largest pterosaur genera, with a wingspan of up to 9 m (30 feet). Geography of the US in the late Cretaceous Late Cretaceous (also called the Upper Cretaceous) refers to the second half of the Cretaceous period, named after the famous white chalk cliffs of southern England, which date from this time. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Scientific classification or biological classification is a method by which biologists group and categorize species of organisms. ... Animalia redirects here. ... Typical Classes See below Chordates (phylum Chordata) are a group of animals that includes the vertebrates, together with several closely related invertebrates. ... Clades Subclass Anapsida Subclass Diapsida Infraclass Lepidosauromorpha Infraclass Archosauromorpha Sauropsids are a diverse group of mostly egg-laying vertebrate animals. ... Suborders Rhamphorhynchoidea Pterodactyloidea Pterosaurs (TEH-row-sore, winged lizards) were flying reptiles of the clade Pterosauria. ... Families Istiodactylidae Ornithocheiridae Pteranodontidae Gallodactylidae Pterodactylidae Germanodactylidae Dsungaripteridae Lonchodectidae Tapejaridae Azhdarchidae Pterodactyloidea (derived from the Greek words πτερόν (pterón, for usual ptéryx) wing, and δάκτυλος (dáctylos) finger meaning winged finger, wing-finger or finger-wing) forms one of the two suborders of pterosaurs (wing lizards), and contains the most... The genus Pteranodon consists out of several large pterosaurs of the Cretaceous of North America. ... Othniel Charles Marsh (October 29, 1831 - March 18, 1899) was one of the pre-eminent paleontologists of the 19th century, who discovered and named many fossils found in the American West. ... Type specimens When a new species is discovered, more important than creating a new and unique name for the species is developing a reasonably detailed description. ... The privative a (also known as alpha privative or a privativum) is the prefix a- expressing negation (e. ... The Cretaceous Period is one of the major divisions of the geologic timescale, reaching from the end of the Jurassic Period (i. ... The Santonian is a stage of the Late Cretaceous Epoch. ... The Campanian is a stage on the geologic time scale occuring from 83. ... World map showing North America A satellite composite image of North America. ... Official language(s) none Capital Topeka Largest city Wichita Area  Ranked 15th  - Total 82,277 sq mi (213,096 km²)  - Width 211 miles (340 km)  - Length 417 miles (645 km)  - % water 0. ... Official language(s) English Capital Montgomery Largest city Birmingham Area  Ranked 30th  - Total 52,419 sq mi (135,765 km²)  - Width 190 miles (306 km)  - Length 330 miles (531 km)  - % water 3. ... Official language(s) English Capital Lincoln Largest city Omaha Largest metro area Omaha Area  Ranked 16th  - Total 77,421 sq mi (200,520 km²)  - Width 210 miles (340 km)  - Length 430 miles (690 km)  - % water 0. ... Official language(s) English Capital Cheyenne Largest city Cheyenne Area  Ranked 10th  - Total 97,818 sq mi (253,348 km²)  - Width 280 miles (450 km)  - Length 360 miles (580 km)  - % water 0. ... Official language(s) English Capital Pierre Largest city Sioux Falls Area  Ranked 17th  - Total 77,163 sq mi (199,905 km²)  - Width 210 miles (340 km)  - Length 380 miles (610 km)  - % water 1. ... Suborders Rhamphorhynchoidea * Pterodactyloidea Pterosaurs (, from the Greek πτερόσαυρος, pterosauros, meaning winged lizard, often referred to as pterodactyls, from the Greek πτεροδάκτυλος, pterodaktulos, meaning winged finger ) were flying reptiles of the clade Pterosauria. ...

Unlike earlier pterosaurs such as Rhamphorhynchus and Pterodactylus, Pteranodon had toothless beaks, like modern birds. Species ? ? Rhamphorhynchus was a long-tailed pterosaur of the Jurassic period. ... Species (Holotype) Pterodactylus (TER-o-DACK-ti-lus) was a pterosaur or flying reptile, with a wingspan of about 50–75 cm (20–30 inches), that lived on lake shores during the late Jurassic era. ... The beak—otherwise known as the bill or rostrum—is an external anatomical structure which serves as the mouth in some animals. ... “Aves” redirects here. ...

Pteranodon fossils have been generally found in the Cretaceous chalk beds of Kansas. These chalk beds were deposited at the bottom of what was once an epicontinental seaway on what is now the North American continent.The first Pteranodon skull was found on May 2, 1876, in Smoky Hill River, Wallace County, Kansas, USA, by S. W. Williston, a fossil collector working for Othniel Marsh. The Niobrara Formation is possibly the most famous unit here, and other fossils found in this formation include those of sea turtles, mosasaurs, and earlier birds.^[1] The Needles,situated on the Isle Of Wight, are part of the extensive Southern England Chalk Formation. ... Genera Family Cheloniidae (Oppel, 1811) Caretta Chelonia Eretmochelys Lepidochelys Natator Family Dermochelyidae Dermochelys Family Protostegidae (extinct) Family Toxochelyidae (extinct) Family Thalassemyidae (extinct) Sea turtles (Chelonioidea) are turtles found in all the worlds oceans except theArctic Ocean, and some species travel between oceans. ... Subfamilies Mosasaurinae Plioplatecarpinae Tylosaurinae A mosasaur was not a dinosaur, but rather an ocean-dwelling serpentine marine reptile more closely related to snakes than to to monitor lizards (Lee 1997). ...

Pteranodon were reptiles, but not dinosaurs. By definition, all dinosaurs were diapsid reptiles with an upright stance, and consist of the group containing saurischians and ornithischians. While the advanced pterodactyloid pterosaurs (like Pteranodon) had a semi-upright stance, it evolved independently of the upright stance in dinosaurs, and pterosaurs lacked the distinctive adaptations in the hip associated with the dinosaurian posture. However, dinosaurs and pterosaurs may have been closely related, and most paleontologists place them together in the group Ornithodira, or "bird necks". Orders  Crocodilia - Crocodilians scary crocodiles. ... Orders Saurischia    Sauropodomorpha    Theropoda Ornithischia Dinosaurs are giant reptiles that dominated the terrestrial ecosystem for most of their 165-million year existence. ... Groups See Text Diapsids (two arches) are a group of tetrapod animals that developed two holes (temporal fenestra) in each side of their skulls, about 300 million years ago during the late Carboniferous period. ... Groups Sauropodomorpha    Saturnalia    Prosauropoda    Sauropoda Theropoda    Eoraptor    Herrerasauridae    Ceratosauria    Tetanurae       Aves(extant) Saurischians (from the Greek Saurischia meaning lizard hip) are one of the two orders/branches of dinosaurs. ... Suborders Thyreophora Cerapoda    Ornithopoda    Marginocephalia Ornithischia is an order of beaked, herbivorous dinosaurs. ... Superorders Dinosauromorpha    Lagosuchians    Dinosauria Pterosauromorpha    Pterosauria    Scleromochlus    Sharovipteryx Ornithodira is a division of the Archosauromorpha (and perhaps Archosauria) clade. ...

Discovery and species

A historical skeletal reconstruction of Pteranodon longiceps

A number of species of Pteranodon have been named, the most well-supported being the type species, P. longiceps. This was discovered by Othniel Charles Marsh in 1876. This had a wingspan of 9 m (30 feet). Other species include the slightly smaller P. sternbergi, with a wingspan of 6 m (20 feet), P. occidentalis, P. velox, P. umbrosus, P. harpyia, and P. comptus. Many are dubious and may be synonymous with the more well-known species. Marsh identified Pteranodon as "distinguished from all previously known genera of the order {pterosauria} by the entire absence of teeth." This meant that any toothless pterosaur jaw fragment, wherever it was found in the world, tended to be attributed to Pteranodon. Hence there came to be a plethora of species and a great deal of confusion. The name became a wastebasket taxon, rather like the dinosaur Megalosaurus, to label any pterosaur remains that could not be distinguished other than by the absence of teeth. Notable authors who have discussed the various aspects of Pteranodon include Bennett, Padian, Unwin, Kellner, and Wellnhofer. One species, P. orogensis is not actually a pteranodontid and has been renamed Bennettazhia oregonensis. Likewise, P. orientalis has been renamed Bogolubovia orientale (Nessov & Yarkov, 1989) and transferred to the Azhdarchidae. From Hankin E. H. and Watson D. S. M.(1914): On the Flight of Pterodactyls, The Aeronautical Journal, October 1914, pages 324-225 This image is in the public domain in the United States and possibly other jurisdictions. ... From Hankin E. H. and Watson D. S. M.(1914): On the Flight of Pterodactyls, The Aeronautical Journal, October 1914, pages 324-225 This image is in the public domain in the United States and possibly other jurisdictions. ... Type specimens When a new species is discovered, more important than creating a new and unique name for the species is developing a reasonably detailed description. ... Othniel Charles Marsh (1831-1899) Othniel Charles Marsh (October 29, 1831 - March 18, 1899) was one of the pre-eminent paleontologists of the 19th century, who discovered and named many fossils found in the American West. ... Suborders Rhamphorhynchoidea Pterodactyloidea Pterosaurs (TEH-row-sore, winged lizards) were flying reptiles of the clade Pterosauria. ... Wastebin taxon (also called a wastebasket, or dustbin taxon) is a term used in taxonomic circles that refers to a taxon that has the sole purpose of classifying organisms that dont fit anywhere else. ... Species Mantell, 1827 Waldmann, 1974 Megalosaurus (Great Lizard, from Greek, μεγαλο-/megalo- meaning big, tall or great and σαυρος/sauros meaning lizard) was a genus of large meat-eating therapod dinosaurs of the Jurassic Period of what is now southern England. ... Binomial name Bennettazhia oregonensis (Gilmore, 1928) Synonyms Pteranodon oregonensis Gilmore, 1928 Bennettazhia (Bennetts azhdarchid) is the name given to a pterosaur (flying reptile) formerly known as Pteranodon oregonensis (Gilmore, 1928). ... Binomial name Bogolubovia orientalis Nessov & Yarkov, 1989 Synonyms Ornithostoma orientalis Pteranodon orientalis Bogolubovia is the name assigned to the remains of a pterosaur (flying reptile) from the Upper Cretaceous of Petreowsk, Russia, formerly known as Ornithostoma orientalis. ... Genera Zhejiangopterus Arambourgiania Azhdarcho Doratorhynchus Montanazhdarcho Hatzegopteryx Quetzalcoatlus Azhdarchids (from the Uzbek word for dragon) were a family of pterosaurs known primarily from the Late Cretaceous period which included some of the largest known flying animals of all time. ...

Paleobiology

The diet of Pteranodon is known to have included fish – fossilized fish bones have been found in the stomach of one Pteranodon, and a fossilized fish bolus has been found between the rami of another Pteranodon. Pteranodon's wing shape suggests that it would have flown rather like a modern-day albatross, soaring by navigating through thermals. This is a suggestion based on the fact that the Pteranodon had a high aspect ratio (wingspan to chord length) similar to that of the albatross – 9:1 for Pteranodon, compared to 8:1 for an albatross. However, other scientists have suggested that Pteranodon could flap their wings and fly with power. They flew long distances using large, light-weight wings.^[2] A giant grouper at the Georgia Aquarium Fish are aquatic vertebrates that are typically cold-blooded; covered with scales, and equipped with two sets of paired fins and several unpaired fins. ... In anatomy, the stomach is a bean-shaped hollow muscular organ of the gastrointestinal tract involved in the second phase of digestion, following mastication. ... Look up bolus in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Genera Diomedea Thalassarche Phoebastria Phoebetria Albatrosses, of the biological family Diomedeidae, are large seabirds allied to the procellariids, storm-petrels and diving-petrels in the order Procellariiformes (the tubenoses). ... This article is about the atmospheric phenomenon. ... The aspect ratio of a two-dimensional shape is the ratio of its longer dimension to its shorter dimension. ... Cross section of an airfoil showing chord In reference to aircraft, chord refers to the distance between the front and back of a wing, measured in the direction of the normal airflow. ...

Pteranodon was notable for its skull crest. These may have been used as mating displays, or it might have acted as a rudder, or perhaps both. It has been suggested that males of the species bore larger crests, but with fossil animals it is often difficult to tell whether differences in crest shape reflect different sexes or different species. It has been suggested that temporal fenestra be merged into this article or section. ... Stern-mounted steering oar of an Egyptian riverboat depicted in the Tomb of Menna (c. ... In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biodiversity. ...

Consensus regarding the terrestrial locomotion of Pteranodon (whether it was bipedal or quadrupedal) has historically been the subject of debate. Today, most pterosaur researchers agree that pterosaurs were quadrupedal, thanks largely to the discovery of several pterosaur trackways. The possibility of swimming has been discussed briefly in two papers (Bennett 2001 and Bramwell & Whitfield),^[3] and is currently being studied in detail at Michigan State University through the use of quantitative morphometrics and an Extant Phylogenetic Bracket (a morphologically comparative technique invented by Larry Whitmer). This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... The Zebra is an example of a quadruped. ... A trackway is a set of impressions in the soft earth, usually a set of footprints, left by a life-form. ... Michigan State University (MSU) is a public university in East Lansing, Michigan. ... Generally, morphometrics (from the Greek: morph, meaning shape or form, and metron”, meaning measurement) comprises methods of extracting measurements from shapes. ...

In popular culture

In colloquial language, Pteranodon is often erroneously called the "pterodactyl." However, "pterodactyl" is not actually the name of a specific species; rather, it is a term for all short-tailed pterosaurs (the suborder Pterodactyloidea), which includes Pteranodon, Pterodactylus, and Quetzalcoatlus. This misuse is most likely due to Pteranodon's high profile in popular culture as the quintessential pterodactloid. This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Families Istiodactylidae Ornithocheiridae Pteranodontidae Gallodactylidae Pterodactylidae Germanodactylidae Dsungaripteridae Lonchodectidae Tapejaridae Azhdarchidae Pterodactyloidea (derived from the Greek words πτερόν (pterón, for usual ptéryx) wing, and δάκτυλος (dáctylos) finger meaning winged finger, wing-finger or finger-wing) forms one of the two suborders of pterosaurs (wing lizards), and contains the most... Species (Holotype) Pterodactylus (TER-o-DACK-ti-lus) was a pterosaur or flying reptile, with a wingspan of about 50–75 cm (20–30 inches), that lived on lake shores during the late Jurassic era. ... Species Quetzalcoatlus northropi (type) Quetzalcoatlus, named after the Aztec feathered serpent god Quetzalcoatl, was a pterodactyloid pterosaur known from the Late Cretaceous of North America (Campanian–Maastrichtian stages, 84–65 ma), and one of the largest known flying animals of all time. ... Popular culture, sometimes called pop culture, (literally: the culture of the people) consists of widespread cultural elements in any given society. ...

Pteranodon was seen briefly at the end of the 1997 film The Lost World: Jurassic Park, and also appeared in its sequel, Jurassic Park III. The depiction in Jurassic Park III featured many inaccuracies, including toothed jaws, exaggerated strength and, presumably, aggression. (Pteranodon is thought to have eaten fish, and was incapable of grasping with its feet). Pteranodon also appeared in the television programs Chased by Dinosaurs and Sea Monsters. In the animated film The Land Before Time, one of the main characters was a Pteranodon named Petrie, who was also inaccurately portrayed as having teeth. The Lost World: Jurassic Park is a 1997 movie which is a sequel to the blockbuster Jurassic Park. ... Jurassic Park III is a 2001 film and sequel of The Lost World: Jurassic Park and the highly successful original Jurassic Park. ... Walking with Dinosaurs is a six-part television series produced by the BBC, narrated by Kenneth Branagh, and aired in the UK in 1999. ... Sea Monsters was a BBC television program which used computer-generated imagery to show past life in Earths seas. ... The Land Before Time is an animated film, produced by Steven Spielbergs Amblin Entertainment, and directed by Don Bluth. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into List of The Land Before Time characters. ...

References

External links

• Pteranodon at Oceans of Kansas