Pterodactylus
Prehistoric winged lizard
Pterodactylus is a genus of pterosaur—a flying reptile from the late Jurassic period, about 150 million years ago.
Though popularly called a dinosaur, pterosaurs were a distinct group.
The name, meaning "wing finger," refers to the elongated fourth finger that supported its wing membrane.
In casual use, pterodactyl often serves as a catch-all term for any pterosaur: The museum's pterodactyl skeleton hung from the ceiling.
Highest point or tuft
- beakHorny avian mouthpart
- membraneThin tissue sheet
- teethEnamel-covered chewing structures
- skullHead's bone casing
hollow bones · lightweight · cervical vertebrae · eye socket · jaws · keratinous · fibrous tissue · pneumatic bones
Preserved ancient organism
- JurassicDinosaur-dominated geological period
- wingspanTip-to-tip extent
- specimenIndividual for examination
- limestoneCarbonate sedimentary rock
excavation · skeleton · extinction · Mesozoic · Germany · paleobiology · discovery · reconstruction
Of the shoreline
- fish-eaterOne consuming aquatic vertebrates
- lagoonSheltered coastal shallows
- shorelineLand-water boundary
- huntingPursuing wild game
predator · Tethys Sea · nesting · colonial · marine environment · scavenger · invertebrates · feeding
Engineless aerial movement
- soaringRising effortlessly upward
- flappingRapid wing motion
- wingspanTip-to-tip extent
- aerodynamicsPhysics of air motion
launch · takeoff · landing · thermals · aerial · locomotion · lift · maneuverability
Dinosaur amusement park catastrophe
- museum displayArranged items for viewing
- documentariesFilms depicting real events
- illustrationPicture explaining something
- modelRepresentation or paradigm
toy · animation · reconstruction · artwork · children's books · natural history · exhibit · diorama
crest
Highest point or tuft
skull · hollow bones · lightweight · cervical vertebrae · eye socket · jaws · keratinous · fibrous tissue · pneumatic bones · sternum
fossil
Preserved ancient organism
- JurassicDinosaur-dominated geological period
- wingspanTip-to-tip extent
- specimenIndividual for examination
limestone · excavation · skeleton · extinction · Mesozoic · Germany · paleobiology · discovery · reconstruction · sediment
coastal
Of the shoreline
- fish-eaterOne consuming aquatic vertebrates
- lagoonSheltered coastal shallows
- shorelineLand-water boundary
hunting · predator · Tethys Sea · nesting · colonial · marine environment · scavenger · invertebrates · feeding · diet
gliding
Engineless aerial movement
aerodynamics · launch · takeoff · landing · thermals · aerial · locomotion · lift · maneuverability · altitude
Jurassic Park
Dinosaur amusement park catastrophe
- museum displayArranged items for viewing
- documentariesFilms depicting real events
- illustrationPicture explaining something
model · toy · animation · reconstruction · artwork · children's books · natural history · exhibit · diorama · educational
- Jurassic lifeBrachiosaurus, Archaeopteryx, Megalosaurus, sauropod, sauropods
Pterodactylusbat
Flying mammal or sports club
eagle · albatross · flying fox · sparrow · bird
PterodactylusTyrannosaurus rex
Large theropod dinosaur species
Velociraptor · dinosaur · theropod · sauropod · Brachiosaurus