Another large pterosaur was Coloborhynchus capito , which had a wingspan of about 23 feet 7 m. This discovery, described in a article in the journal Cretaceous Research , followed an examination of a fossil that had been in the Natural History Museum of London since Given the large number of different types of pterosaurs, the physical characteristics of the winged reptiles varied widely depending on the genera.
Pterosaurs often had long necks, which sometimes had throat pouches similar to pelicans' for catching fish. Most pterosaur skulls were long and full of needlelike teeth. However, pterosaurs of the taxonomic family Azhdarchidae, which ruled the Late Cretaceous skies and included Quetzalcoatlus northropi , were toothless, according to a study in the journal ZooKeys.
A distinguishing feature of pterosaurs was the crest on their heads. Though it was initially thought that pterosaurs had no crests, it's now known that crests were widespread across pterosaur genera and came in various forms.
For instance, some pterosaurs had big, bony crests, while other crests were fleshy with no underlying bone. Some pterosaurs even appear to have had a saillike crest made up of a membrane sheet connecting two large bones on the head.
Over the years, scientists have proposed many possible purposes for these crests, including that they were used for heat regulation or to serve as rudders during flight. What seems most likely is that the crests were used for sexual selection, Hone and his colleagues argued in a study in the journal Lethaia. There are several lines of evidence that support this function of the crests, Hone explained, perhaps most notably that juveniles, which look like miniature versions of adult pterosaurs, don't have crests, suggesting the structures are used for something that is only relevant to adults, such as mating.
Pterosaurs were carnivores, though some may have occasionally ate fruits, Hone said. What the reptiles ate depended on where they lived — some species spent their lives around water, while others were more terrestrial. Terrestrial pterosaurs ate carcasses, baby dinosaurs, lizards, eggs, insects and various other animals.
Water-loving pterosaurs ate a variety of marine life, including fish, squid, crab and other shellfish. In , Hone sought to learn more about the lives of marine pterosaurs. Unlike Rhamphorhynchus , Pteranodon lacked teeth, giving them a name that means they have wings but are toothless.
Possibilities include sexual selection and species recognition. Our Pteranodon duo gets finishing touches before arriving at the Field. Blue Rhino Studio. This is about a five-foot section of an incomplete Pteranodon wing found in Kansas.
From right to left, we see the ulna and radius, wrist bones, finger, joint, and more finger. Pterosaur wings were similar in form and function to the wings of bats and birds. In all three groups of flying vertebrates—reptiles, mammals, and birds—their wings evolved for the fluid dynamics of flying. Now for the biggest of the big.
Quetzalcoatlus ket-zal-co-AHT-lus is a giant pterosaur from Texas, with wings that stretch 35 feet across. These flying giants likely coexisted with T. Along with non-avian dinosaurs, pterosaurs went extinct during the end-Cretaceous mass extinction. A super close-up look at Quetzalcoatlus. These short, flexible filaments are different from mammal hair. It takes a talented team and the right equipment to raise a pound pterosaur model.
Quetzalcoatlus is probably the limit of how big an animal can be and still fly: when you consider even bigger individuals, the muscles needed to power flight would soon get too heavy to lift the animal, even with larger wings. If you have questions about how to cite anything on our website in your project or classroom presentation, please contact your teacher.
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