Pterosaurs (/ˈtɛ.rəˌsɔː(r)/, from the Greek πτερόσαυρος, pterosauros, meaning "winged lizard", often referred to as pterodactyls, from the Greek πτεροδάκτυλος, pterodaktulos, meaning "winged finger" /ˌtɛ.rəˈdæk.tɪl/) were flying reptiles of the clade Pterosauria.^[1] They existed from the late Triassic to the end of the Cretaceous Period (228 to 65 million years ago). Pterosaurs were the first vertebrates to evolve flight. Their wings were formed by a membrane of skin, muscle, and other tissues stretching from the thorax to a dramatically lengthened fourth finger. Earlier species had long, fully-toothed jaws and long tails, while later forms had a highly reduced tail, and some lacked teeth. Subclasses Anapsida Diapsida Synonyms Reptilia Laurenti, 1768 Reptiles are tetrapods and amniotes, animals whose embryos are surrounded by an amniotic membrane, and members of the class Sauropsida. ... A clade is a term belonging to the discipline of cladistics. ... The Triassic is a geologic period that extends from about 251 ± 0. ... The Cretaceous Period is one of the major divisions of the geologic timescale, reaching from the end of the Jurassic Period (i. ... A geologic period is a subdivision of geologic time that divides an era into smaller timeframes. ... Mega-annum, usually abbreviated as Ma, is a unit of time equal to one million years. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Biological tissue is a group of cells that perform a similar function. ... Diagram of a tsetse fly, showing the head, thorax and abdomen The thorax is a division of an animals body that lies between the head and the abdomen. ...

Pterosaurs are sometimes referred to in the popular media as dinosaurs, but this is incorrect. The term "dinosaur" is properly restricted to a certain group of terrestrial reptiles with a unique upright stance (superorder Dinosauria), and therefore excludes the pterosaurs, as well as the various groups of extinct aquatic reptiles, such as ichthyosaurs, plesiosaurs, and mosasaurs. Orders Saurischia    Sauropodomorpha    Theropoda Ornithischia Dinosaurs are giant reptiles that dominated the terrestrial ecosystem for most of their 165-million year existence. ... Terrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land, as compared with aquatic animals, which live predominantly or entirely in the water (e. ... Subclasses Anapsida Diapsida Synonyms Reptilia Laurenti, 1768 Reptiles are tetrapods and amniotes, animals whose embryos are surrounded by an amniotic membrane, and members of the class Sauropsida. ... Families Ichthyosauridae Leptonectidae Mixosauridae Ophthalmosauridae Shastasauridae Stenopterygiidae Teretocnemidae Ichthyosaurs (Greek for fish lizard - ιχθυς meaning fish and σαυρος meaning lizard) were giant marine reptiles that resembled fish and dolphins. ... Plesiosaurs extinct marine reptile with a small head on a long neck a short tail and four paddle-shaped limbs; of the Jurassic and Cretaceous period, they are best known for killing Fred Flintstone. ... 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). ...

History of discovery

Fossilised pterosaurs have been found in North America, South America, United Kingdom, Europe, Africa, Asia and Australia. The first pterosaur fossil was found by an Italian naturalist, Cosimo Collini, in 1784. The name "Ptero-dactyle" was first coined by Georges Cuvier in 1809 for a specimen recovered in Germany; however, due to the standardization of scientific names, the official name for this species became Pterodactylus, though the name "pterodactyl" continued to be popularly applied to all members of this first specimen's order. North America North America is a continent[1] in the Earths northern hemisphere and (chiefly) western hemisphere. ... South America South America is a continent crossed by the equator, with most of its area in the Southern Hemisphere. ... World map showing the location of Europe. ... A world map showing the continent of Africa Africa is the worlds second-largest and second most-populous continent, after Asia. ... World map showing the location of Asia. ... 1784 was a leap year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... Georges Cuvier Baron Georges Léopold Chrétien Frédéric Dagobert Cuvier (August 23, 1769–May 13, 1832) was a French naturalist and zoologist. ... 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. ...

A famous UK find was an example of Dimorphodon by Mary Anning, at Lyme Regis in 1828. Mary Anning (May 21, 1799 – March 9, 1847) was an early British fossil collector and paleontologist. ... Lyme Regis (IPA: ) is a coastal town in West Dorset, England, situated 25 miles west of Dorchester and 25 miles east of Exeter. ... Year 1828 (MDCCCXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian Calendar (or a leap year starting on Thursday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ...

At least 60 genera of pterosaurs have been found, ranging from the size of a small bird to wingspans in excess of 10 meters (33 feet). Since the first pterosaur fossil was discovered in the late Jurassic Solnhofen limestone in 1784, twenty-nine kinds of pterosaurs have been found in those deposits alone. Most paleontologists now believe that pterosaurs were adapted for active flight, not just gliding as was earlier believed. For other uses, see Genus (disambiguation). ... The metre, or meter (symbol: m) is the SI base unit of length. ... A foot (plural: feet or foot;[1] symbol or abbreviation: ft or, sometimes, ′ – a prime) is a unit of length, in a number of different systems, including English units, Imperial units, and United States customary units. ... FOSSIL is a standard for allowing serial communication for telecommunications programs under DOS. FOSSIL is an acronym for Fido Opus Seadog Standard Interface Layer. ... A brittle star fossil from Solnhofen limestone. ... 1784 was a leap year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... A paleontologist carefully chips rock from a column of dinosaur vertebrae. ... A hummingbird Female Mallard Duck in midflight A dragonfly in flight Flight is the process by which an object achieves sustained movement either through the air by aerodynamically generating lift or aerostatically using buoyancy, or movement beyond earths atmosphere, in the case of spaceflight. ... A modern glider crossing the finish line of a competition at high speed. ...

The three dimensionally preserved skull of Anhanguera santanae, from the Santana Formation, Brazil.

Most pterosaur fossils did not preserve well. Their bones were hollow and, when sediments piled on top of them, the bones were flattened. The best preserved fossils have come from the Araripe Plateau, Brazil. For some reason, when the bones were deposited, the sediments encapsulated the bones, rather than crushing them. This created three-dimensional fossils for paleontologists to study. The first find in the Araripe Plateau was made in 1974. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1300x400, 105 KB) Summary A photograph of the skull of Anhanguera santanae of the Santana formation, Brazil. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1300x400, 105 KB) Summary A photograph of the skull of Anhanguera santanae of the Santana formation, Brazil. ... Species Campos & Kellner, 1985 (type) (Wellnhofer, 1985) (Bowerbank vide Seeley, 1865) Unwin , 2000 (Owen, 1859) Unwin , 2000 Anhanguera is a genus of pterodactyloid pterosaur known from the Lower-Cretaceous (Aptian) Santana Formation of Brazil. ... Grays Anatomy illustration of a human femur. ... This article or section cites very few or no references or sources. ... The Chapada do Araripe, also known as the Serra do Araripe, is a chapada (tableland) in northeastern Brazil. ...

Anatomy and palaeobiology

The anatomy of pterosaurs was highly modified from their reptilian ancestors for the demands of flight. Pterosaur bones were hollow and air filled, like the bones of birds. They had a keeled breastbone that was developed for the attachment of flight muscles and an enlarged brain that shows specialised features associated with flight.^[2] This article does not cite any references or sources. ... “Aves” redirects here. ... Sternum or breastbone is a long, flat bone located in the center of the thorax (chest). ... A top-down view of skeletal muscle Muscle (from Latin musculus little mouse [1]) is contractile tissue of the body and is derived from the mesodermal layer of embryonic germ cells. ... In animals, the brain or encephalon (Greek for in the head), is the control center of the central nervous system, responsible for behaviour. ...

Pteranodon skeletal drawing from a 1914 scientific paper.

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. ... Species (type) 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). ...

Wings

Pterosaur wings were formed by membranes of skin and other tissues, strengthened by various types of closely spaced fibers.^[3] The membranes attached to the extremely long fourth finger of each arm and extended along the sides of the body. A bone unique to pterosaurs, known as the pteroid, connected to the wrist and helped to support a membrane (the propatagium) between the wrist and shoulder. The pteroid might have been able to swing forward to extend this membrane,^[4] although this is very debatable.^[5][6] In later some pterosaurs, the backbone over the shoulders fused into a structure known as a notarium, which served to stiffen the torso during flight, and provide a stable support for the scapula (shoulder blade). This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Look up ARM in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Notarium is a term used for the fused vertebra of the shoulder in birds and some pterosaurs. ... Left scapula - front view () Left scapula - rear view () In anatomy, the scapula, or shoulder blade, is the bone that connects the humerus (arm bone) with the clavicle (collar bone). ...

There has been considerable argument among paleontologists about whether the wings attached to the hindlimbs as well. Fossils of the rhamphorhynchoid Sordes,^[7] the anurognathid Jeholopterus,^[8] and a pterodactyloid from the Santana Formation seem to demonstrate that the wing membrane did attach to the hindlimbs, at least in some species. However, modern bats and flying squirrels show considerable variation in the extent of their wing membranes and it is possible that, like these groups, different species of pterosaur had different wing designs. Indeed, analysis of pterosaur limb proportions shows that there was considerable variation, possibly reflecting a variety of wing-plans.^[9] Many if not all pterosaurs also had webbed feet, and although these have been considered to be evidence of swimming, they may have had an aerodynamic function.^{[citation needed][10]} Binomial name Sordes pilosus Sharov, 1971 Sordes (meaning devil in Greek) was a small pterosaur that lived in the Mesozoic era. ... Genera Anurognathus Batrachognathus Dendrorhynchoides Jeholopterus Anurognathids were a group of small pterosaurs, mostly tailess, that lived worldwide during the Jurassic Period. ... Jeholopterus ninchengensis was a small anurognathid pterosaur preserved with hair and skin impressions. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Crato Formation. ... “Chiroptera” redirects here. ... Two groups of rodents are referred to as flying squirrels. ...

Hair

There is no fossil evidence of feathers, but pterosaurs were unique among reptiles in that at least some of them were covered with hair, similar to but not homologous with mammalian hair. Pterosaur "hair" is not true hair as seen in mammals, but a unique structure that developed a similar appearance through convergent evolution. Although in some cases fibers in the wing membrane have been mistaken for hair, some fossils such as those of Sordes pilosus (the "hairy demon") do show the unmistakable imprints of hair on the head and body,^[7] not unlike modern-day bats, another example of convergent evolution. The presence of hair (and the demands of flight) imply that pterosaurs were warm-blooded ('endothermic'). For the film, see Hair (film). ... In biology, homology is any similarity between structures that is due to their shared ancestry. ... Subclasses & Infraclasses Subclass †Allotheria* Subclass Prototheria Subclass Theria Infraclass †Trituberculata Infraclass Metatheria Infraclass Eutheria Mammals (class Mammalia) are warm-blooded, vertebrate animals characterized by the production of milk in female mammary glands and by the presence of: hair, three middle ear bones used in hearing, and a neocortex region in... In evolutionary biology, convergent evolution is the process whereby organisms not closely related, independently evolve similar traits as a result of having to adapt to similar environments or ecological niches. ... Binomial name Sordes pilosus Sharov, 1971 Sordes (meaning devil in Greek) was a small pterosaur that lived in the Mesozoic era. ... A warm-blooded (homeothermic) animal is one that can keep its core body temperature at a nearly constant level regardless of the temperature of the surrounding environment (that is, to maintain thermal homeostasis) . This can involve not only the ability to generate heat, but also the ability to cool down...

Nervous system

A study of pterosaur brain cavities using X-rays has revealed extraordinary information about their habits. Studying fossil pterosaur skulls is extremely difficult because they are so delicate, but Lawrence Witmer at Ohio University in Athens and his colleagues used X-ray CT scans to build up 3D images of the brains of two species.^[2] One striking finding was that the animals (Rhamphorhynchus muensteri and Anhanguera santanae) had massive flocculi. The flocculus is a brain region that integrates signals from joints, muscles, skin and the balance organs. In animals, the brain or encephalon (Greek for in the head), is the control center of the central nervous system, responsible for behaviour. ... Species Campos & Kellner, 1985 (type) (Wellnhofer, 1985) (Bowerbank vide Seeley, 1865) Unwin , 2000 (Owen, 1859) Unwin , 2000 Anhanguera is a genus of pterodactyloid pterosaur known from the Lower-Cretaceous (Aptian) Santana Formation of Brazil. ... The flocculus is a small lobe of the cerebellum at the posterior border of the middle cerebellar peduncle anterior to the biventer lobule; it is associated with the nodulus of the vermis; together, these two structures compose the vestibular part of the cerebellum. ...

The pterosaurs' flocculi occupied 7.5% of the animals' total brain mass, more than in any other vertebrate. Birds have unusually large flocculi compared with other animals, but these only occupy between 1 and 2% of total brain mass.^[2]

The flocculus sends out neural signals that produce small, automatic movements in the eye muscles. These keep the image on an animal's retina steady. Pterosaurs may have had such a large flocculus because of their large wing size,^[2] which would mean that there was a great deal more sensory information to process.

Ground movement

Pterodactylus kochi appears to be well adapted to walking on all fours.

Pterosaur's hip sockets were oriented facing slightly upwards, and the head of the femur (thigh bone) was only moderately inward facing, suggesting that pterosaurs had a semi-erect stance. It would have been possible to lift the thigh into a horizontal position during flight. Pterodactylus kochi, drawing by John Conway, 2003. ... Pterodactylus kochi, drawing by John Conway, 2003. ... The femur or thigh bone is the longest, most voluminous, and strongest bone of the mammalian bodies. ...

There has been considerable debate in the past about whether pterosaurs moved about on the ground as quadrupeds or as bipeds. A large number of pterosaur trackways are now known, with a distinctive four-toed hind foot and three-toed front foot; these are the unmistakable prints of pterosaurs walking on all fours.^[11][12] It has been suggested that smaller pterosaurs with longer hindlimbs such as Dimorphodon might have walked or even run bipedally, in addition to flying, not unlike modern road runners.^{[citation needed]} Other small pterosaurs such as Rhamphorhynchus may have scurried around on all fours. Larger pterosaurs with proportionately smaller hindlimbs and massive forebodies are generally thought to have moved about on all fours while on the ground. The Zebra is an example of a quadruped. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Species (Buckland, 1829)(type) Clark , 1998 Dimorphodon (Two-form Teeth) was a genus of medium-sized pterosaur from the Early Jurassic Period. ... Species The roadrunners are two species of bird in the genus Geococcyx of the cuckoo family, Cuculidae, native to North and Central America. ... Species (Goldfuss, 1831) (type) Lydekker, 1890 Peck, 1931 Synonyms Ornithopterus von Meyer, 1860 Pteromonodactylus Teriaev, 1967 Rhamphorhynchus was a long-tailed pterosaur of the Jurassic period. ...

Predation

Pterosaurs are known to have been eaten by spinosaurs. In the 1 July 2004 edition of Nature, paleontologist Eric Buffetaut discusses an early Cretaceous fossil of three cervical vertebrae of a pterosaur with the broken tooth of a spinosaur embedded in it. The vertebrae are known not to have been eaten and exposed to digestion, as the joints still articulated.^[13] Binomial name Spinosaurus aegyptiacus Stromer, 1915 Spinosaurus (meaning “spine lizard”) is a genus of bipedal theropod dinosaur from the middle Cretaceous, about 95 to 93 million years ago. ... is the 182nd day of the year (183rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Nature is one of the most prominent scientific journals, first published on 4 November 1869. ... A diagram of a thoracic vertebra. ...

Reproduction

Very little is known about pterosaur reproduction. A single pterosaur egg has been found in the quarries of Liaoning, the same place that yielded the famous 'feathered' dinosaurs. The egg was squashed flat with no signs of cracking, so evidently the eggs had leathery shells.^[14] The embryo's wing membranes were well developed,^[15] suggesting pterosaurs were ready to fly soon after birth. This is corroborated by very young animals found in the Solnhofen limestone beds, where they presumably flew to the middle of a lagoon, fell in and drowned.^{[citation needed]} It is not known whether pterosaurs practised parental care, but their comparatively early flight capabilities suggest the young were not completely dependent on parents as most birds are.

Evolution and extinction

Origins

Because pterosaur anatomy has been so heavily modified for flight, and immediate "missing link" predecessors have not so far been described, the ancestry of pterosaurs is not well understood. They are generally, but not universally, thought to be related to the Dinosauria on the basis of their ankle structure. Human heart and lungs, from an older edition of Grays Anatomy. ... Orders Saurischia    Sauropodomorpha    Theropoda Ornithischia Dinosaurs are giant reptiles that dominated the terrestrial ecosystem for most of their 165-million year existence. ...

They are thought to have evolved flight from some manner other than the 'tree-down' route possibly taken by birds, because pterosaurs demonstrated no adaptations useful for tree living. Most scenarios have pterosaurs evolving from long-legged, ground-running ancestors like Scleromochlus or Sharovipteryx (a less likely scenario), both of which had webs of skin from long hind legs to their bodies or tails. This suggests a 'ground-up' evolution of flight or even a route that evolved by gliding from cliff-tops. Schleromochlus is the name of an archosaur from the early Triassic era, sharing many similarities in form with the pterosaurs which evolved years later, leading to speculation that it may have been an ancestor. ... Binomial name Sharovipteryx mirabilis Sharov, 1971 Sharovipteryx (Sharovs wing, previously known as Podopteryx, foot wing), was among the earliest gliding reptiles, from the early Triassic period. ...

Phylogeny and classification

For more details on this topic, see List of pterosaur classifications.

Classification of pterosaurs has historically been difficult, because there were many gaps in the fossil record. Many new discoveries are now filling in these gaps and giving us a better picture of the evolution of pterosaurs. Traditionally, they are organized into two suborders: This list of pterosaur classifications entails the various schemes used to classify pterosaurs throughout the years and varying views of these animals. ... Scientific classification or biological classification is a method by which biologists group and categorize species of organisms. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Fossil. ... Scientific classification or biological classification refers to how biologists group and categorize extinct and living species of organisms. ...

• Rhamphorhynchoidea (Plieninger, 1901): A group of early, basal ("primitive") pterosaurs, many of which had long tails and short metacarpal bones in the wing. They were small, and their fingers were still adapted to climbing ^{[citation needed]}. They appeared in the late Triassic period, and lasted until the late Jurassic. Rhamphorhynchoidea is a paraphyletic group (since the pterodactyloids evolved directly from them and not from a common ancestor), so with the increasing use of cladistics it has fallen out of favor in most technical literature.

• Pterodactyloidea (Plieninger, 1901): The more derived ("advanced") pterosaurs, with short tails and long wing metacarpals. They appeared in the middle Jurassic period, and lasted until the Cretaceous-Tertiary extinction event wiped them out at the end of the Cretaceous.

Listing of families and superfamilies within Pterosauria, after Unwin 2006: Families Dimorphodontidae Anurognathidae Campylognathoididae Rhamphorhynchidae The Rhamphorhynchoidea form one of the two suborders of pterosaurs and regroup the primitive members of this group of flying reptiles. ... The metacarpus is the intermediate part of the hand skeleton that is located between the fingers distally and the carpus which forms the connection to the forearm. ... Paraphyletic - Wikipedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... It has been suggested that Clade be merged into this article or section. ... 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 metacarpus is the intermediate part of the hand skeleton that is located between the fingers distally and the carpus which forms the connection to the forearm. ... The Jurassic Period is a major unit of the geologic timescale that extends from about 199. ... Badlands near Drumheller, Alberta where erosion has exposed the KT boundary. ... The Cretaceous Period is one of the major divisions of the geologic timescale, reaching from the end of the Jurassic Period (i. ...

Rhamphorhynchus, a well-known "rhamphorhynchoid" from the Late Jurassic.

Zhejiangopterus, an azhdarchid from the Cretaceous of China.

• ORDER PTEROSAURIA (extinct)
  • Suborder Rhamphorhynchoidea *
    • Family Dimorphodontidae
    • Family Anurognathidae
    • Family Campylognathoididae
    • Family Rhamphorhynchidae
  • Suborder Pterodactyloidea
    • Superfamily Ornithocheiroidea
      • Family Istiodactylidae
      • Family Ornithocheiridae
      • Family Pteranodontidae
      • Family Nyctosauridae
    • Superfamily Ctenochasmatoidea
      • Family Gallodactylidae
      • Family Pterodactylidae
      • Family Ctenochasmatidae
    • Superfamily Dsungaripteroidea
      • Family Germanodactylidae
      • Family Dsungaripteridae
    • Superfamily Azhdarchoidea
      • Family Lonchodectidae
      • Family Tapejaridae
      • Family Azhdarchidae

The precise relationships between pterosaurs is still unsettled. However, several newer studies are beginning to make things clearer. Cladogram simplified after Unwin.^[16] Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Species (Goldfuss, 1831) (type) Lydekker, 1890 Peck, 1931 Synonyms Ornithopterus von Meyer, 1860 Pteromonodactylus Teriaev, 1967 Rhamphorhynchus was a long-tailed pterosaur of the Jurassic period. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Binomial name Cai & Feng, 1994 Zhejiangopterus is a genus of pterodactyloid pterosaur, known from one species (), which lived in China during the late Cretaceous Period. ... Families Dimorphodontidae Anurognathidae Campylognathoididae Rhamphorhynchidae The Rhamphorhynchoidea form one of the two suborders of pterosaurs and regroup the primitive members of this group of flying reptiles. ... Paraphyletic - Wikipedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... Genera Anurognathus Batrachognathus Dendrorhynchoides Jeholopterus Anurognathids were a group of small pterosaurs, mostly tailess, that lived worldwide during the Jurassic Period. ... 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... Families Istiodactylidae Ornithocheiridae Pteranodontidae Ornithocheiroidea is a group of pterosaurs within the suborder Pterodactyloidea. ... The genus Pteranodon consists out of several large pterosaurs of the Cretaceous of North America. ... Families Ctenochasmatidae Gallodactylidae Pterodactylidae Ctenochasmatoidea is a group of pterosaurs within the suborder Pterodactyloidea. ... Cycnorhamphus (Seeley 1870) is the name formerly assigned to fossil material which belongs to two previously named genera of Jurassic pterosaurs. ... 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. ... Families Dsungaripteridae Germanodactylidae Dsungaripteroidea is a group of pterosaurs within the suborder Pterodactyloidea. ... A primitive pterosaur, Germanodactylus (crested German finger) lived in Germany during the Late Jurassic, 150 mya. ... Families Azhdarchidae (type) Lonchodectidae Tapejaridae Azhdarchoidea is a group of pterosaurs within the suborder Pterodactyloidea. ... Species See text. ... Genera Sinopterus Huaxiapterus Tapejara Tapejaridae (the old beings) are a family of pterodactyloid pterosaurs from the early Cretaceous period. ... 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. ... Greek clados = branch) or phylogenetic systematics is a branch of biology that determines the evolutionary relationships of living things based on derived similarities. ...

Extinction

It is believed by some that competition with early bird species may have resulted in the extinction of many of the pterosaurs. By the end of the Cretaceous, only large species of pterosaurs are known. The smaller species were extinct, their niche filled by birds. ^[17] At the end of the Cretaceous period, the great extinction which wiped out all dinosaurs, and many other animals, seemed to also take the pterosaurs. Others suggest that most pterosaurs were specialised for an ocean-going lifestyle. Consequently, when the K-T mass-extinction severely affected marine life that most pterosaurs fed on, they went extinct. A lack of small pterosaurs in the fossil record could be explained by competition with birds or poor preservation due to the fragility of their skeletons. “Aves” redirects here. ... In biology and ecology, extinction is the ceasing of existence of a species or group of species. ... Badlands near Drumheller, Alberta where erosion has exposed the KT boundary. ...

Well-known genera

Main article: List of pterosaurs

Examples of pterosaur genera include: Rhamphorhycoidea (long-tailed pterosaurs) Anurognathus Augustinaripterus Austriadactylus Batrachognathus Cacibupteryx Campylognathus Dendrorhynchoides Dimorphodon Dorygnathus Eudimorphodon Jeholopterus Parapsicephalus Peteinosaurus Preondactylus Pterorhynchus Rhamphocephalus Rhamphorhynchus Scaphognathus Sordes Pterodactyloidea (short-tailed pterosaurs) Anhanguera Araripesaurus Azdarcho Beipiaopterus Boreopterus Cearadactylus Coloborhynchus Chaoyangopterus Ctenochasma Cycnorhamphus Doratorhynchus Dsungaripterus Eosipterus Gallodactylus Germanodactylus Gnathosaurus Haopterus Huanhepterus Istiodactylus Jida pterosaur Liaoningopteryx Lonchodectes... For other uses, see Genus (disambiguation). ...

• Dsungaripterus had a wingspan of 3 metres (10 feet), an unusual bony crest running along its snout, and long, narrow, curved jaws with a pointed tip. It lived during the early Cretaceous period.
• Pteranodon was 1.8 metres (six feet) long, with a wingspan of 7.5 m (25 feet), and lived during the late Cretaceous period.
• Pterodactylus had a wingspan of 50 to 75 centimeters (20 to 30 inches), and lived during the late Jurassic on lake shores.
• Pterodaustro was a Cretaceous pterosaur from South America with a wingspan around 1.33 metres and with over 500 tall, narrow teeth, which were presumably used in filter-feeding, much like modern flamingos. Also like flamingos, this pterosaur's diet may have resulted in the animal having a pink hue. It was South America's first pterosaur find.
• Quetzalcoatlus had a wingspan of 12 metres (40 feet), and may be the largest flying animal ever. It lived during the late Cretaceous period.
• Rhamphorhynchus was a Jurassic pterosaur with a vane at the end of its tail, which may have acted to stabilise the tail in flight.

Species (type) Dsungaripterus was a pterosaur with a wingspan of 3 metres (10 feet). ... Human jaw front view Human jaw left view Human jaw top view The jaw is either of the two opposable structures forming, or near the entrance to, the mouth. ... Species (type) 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). ... 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. ... This article is being considered for deletion in accordance with Wikipedias deletion policy. ... An inch (plural: inches; symbol or abbreviation: in or, sometimes, ″ - a double prime) is the name of a unit of length in a number of different systems, including English units, Imperial units, and United States customary units. ... Blowdown Lake in the mountains near Pemberton, British Columbia A lake (from Latin lacus) is a body of water or other liquid of considerable size contained on a body of land. ... A pterosaur from South America that had many bristle-like structures on its jaw that might have been used to strain crustaceans and other small creatures from the water. ... South America South America is a continent crossed by the equator, with most of its area in the Southern Hemisphere. ... Types of teeth Molars are used for grinding up foods Carnassials are used for slicing food. ... Flamingos ( ) are gregarious wading birds in the genus Phoenicopterus and family Phoenicopteridae. ... The use of the word pink as a color first occurred in the 17th century to describe the light red flowers of pinks, flowering plants in the genus Dianthus. ... 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. ... Species (Goldfuss, 1831) (type) Lydekker, 1890 Peck, 1931 Synonyms Ornithopterus von Meyer, 1860 Pteromonodactylus Teriaev, 1967 Rhamphorhynchus was a long-tailed pterosaur of the Jurassic period. ...

Pterosaurs in popular culture

Pterosaurs, like all dinosaurs, are a staple of popular culture. While the generic term "pterodactyl" is often used to describe these creatures, the animal depicted is frequently a Pteranodon or other specific species of pterosaur, or a fictionalized hybrid of several species. Many dinosaur-based childrens toys and cartoons feature "pterodactyls" with Pteranodon-like crests and long, Rhamphorhynchus-like tails and teeth, a combination that never existed in nature. However, at least one type of pterosaur did have at least the Pteranodon-like crest and teeth--the Ludodactylus, a name that means "toy pterodactyl" for its resemblance to old, inaccurate children's toys. Notable examples of older fictional works featuring pterosaurs include Arthur Conan Doyle's book The Lost World and the 1933 film King Kong. Species (type) 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). ... Species (Goldfuss, 1831) (type) Lydekker, 1890 Peck, 1931 Synonyms Ornithopterus von Meyer, 1860 Pteromonodactylus Teriaev, 1967 Rhamphorhynchus was a long-tailed pterosaur of the Jurassic period. ... Binomial name Ludodactylus sibbicki Frey et al. ... Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle, DL (22 May 1859–7 July 1930) was a Scottish born author most noted for his stories about the detective Sherlock Holmes, which are generally considered a major innovation in the field of crime fiction, and the adventures of Professor Challenger. ... The Lost World is a 1912 novel by Arthur Conan Doyle concerning an expedition to a plateau (native name is Tepuyes) in South America (Venezuela) where prehistoric animals (dinosaurs and other extinct creatures) still survive. ... 1933 (MCMXXXIII) was a common year starting on Sunday. ... This is about the original movie and novel. ...

Living Pterosaur hoax

It was reported in an article in The Illustrated London News (February 9, 1856, page 166) that, in 1856, workmen laboring in a tunnel for a railway line, between Saint-Dizier and Nancy, in France, were cutting through Jurassic limestone when a large creature stumbled out from inside it. It fluttered its wings, made a croaking noise and dropped dead. According to the workers, the creature had a 10 foot wingspan, four legs joined by a membrane, black leathery skin, talons for feet and a toothed mouth. A local student of paleontology identified the animal as a pterodactyl. The report had the animal turn to dust, as soon as it had died. 1856 was a leap year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... Saint-Dizier is a city in the Haute-Marne département in the Champagne-Ardenne Region of France. ... Nancy (IPA pronounciation ; archaic German: ; Luxembourgish: Nanzeg) is a city and commune in the Lorraine région of northeastern France. ...

This incredible story is believed to have been a hoax, stimulated in part by contemporary Franco-Prussian palaeontological rivalry. The Solnhofen limestone from Bavaria (in which Archaeopteryx would later be discovered) was producing many prized fossils, each of which was proudly announced by German paleontologists. The tunnel in question was through limestone of similar age to the Solnhofen Limestone, so it presented an opportunity for a shocking story by the French. A brittle star fossil from Solnhofen limestone. ... For other uses, see Bavaria (disambiguation). ... Binomial name Meyer, 1861 Synonyms See below Archaeopteryx (from Ancient Greek archaios meaning ancient and pteryx meaning feather or wing; pronounced ) is the earliest and most primitive known bird to date. ...

Further reading

• Unwin, David M. (2006). Pterosaurs From Deep Time. Pi Press: New York. ISBN 0-13-146308-X
• Wellnhofer P (1991): Illustrated Encyclopedia of Pterosaurs, Crescent Books

Notes and references

Species  Cynocephalus varigatus  Cynocephalus volans Colugos are arboreal gliding mammals found in South-east Asia. ...

See also

• List of pterosaurs
• Mary Anning
• Wyvern
• Flying and gliding animals

Rhamphorhycoidea (long-tailed pterosaurs) Anurognathus Augustinaripterus Austriadactylus Batrachognathus Cacibupteryx Campylognathus Dendrorhynchoides Dimorphodon Dorygnathus Eudimorphodon Jeholopterus Parapsicephalus Peteinosaurus Preondactylus Pterorhynchus Rhamphocephalus Rhamphorhynchus Scaphognathus Sordes Pterodactyloidea (short-tailed pterosaurs) Anhanguera Araripesaurus Azdarcho Beipiaopterus Boreopterus Cearadactylus Coloborhynchus Chaoyangopterus Ctenochasma Cycnorhamphus Doratorhynchus Dsungaripterus Eosipterus Gallodactylus Germanodactylus Gnathosaurus Haopterus Huanhepterus Istiodactylus Jida pterosaur Liaoningopteryx Lonchodectes... Mary Anning (May 21, 1799 – March 9, 1847) was an early British fossil collector and paleontologist. ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ... A number of animals have evolved aerial locomotion, either by powered flight or by gliding. ...

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Pterosauria

• Pterosaur FAQ's, by Raymond Thaddeus C. Ancog.
• The Pterosaur Database, by Paul Pursglove.
• The Pterosauria, by Mike Hanson.
• Comments on the phylogeny of the pterodactyloidea, by Alexander W. A. Kellner. (technical)
• Pterosaurs no bird brains

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