pterodactyl
Ancient flying reptile
Pterodactyl is the popular name for pterosaurs—flying reptiles that lived alongside dinosaurs but were not themselves dinosaurs.
The name comes from Greek words meaning "wing finger," describing their membrane wings stretched along an elongated fourth finger.
Though scientists prefer the more precise term pterosaur, pterodactyl remains common in casual use: The museum had a pterodactyl skeleton suspended from the ceiling.
Tip-to-tip extent
- membraneThin tissue sheet
- soaringRising effortlessly upward
- glidingEngineless aerial movement
- thermalsWarm air columns
aerodynamics · airborne · flapping · altitude · swooping · aerial · lift · drag
Age of Reptiles
- CretaceousFinal Mesozoic period
- JurassicDinosaur-dominated geological period
- TriassicFirst Mesozoic period
- dinosaursExtinct prehistoric reptiles
paleontology · fossils · excavation · petrification · sediment · amber · stratigraphy · carbon-dating
Horny avian mouthpart
lightweight · skeleton · phalange · digit · reptilian · cold-blooded · scales · ectothermic
Giant prehistoric flying monster
- PetrieBritish archaeology surname
- FantasiaImaginative musical composition
- kaijuJapanese giant monster
- FlintstonesAnimated prehistoric suburban comedy
Legendary fire-breathing reptile
- thunderbirdSpirit bird causing tempests
- rocGiant mythical bird
- QuetzalcoatlAztec feathered serpent god
- cryptidUnproven legendary animal
wingspan
Tip-to-tip extent
thermals · aerodynamics · airborne · flapping · altitude · swooping · aerial · lift · drag · wingbeat
Mesozoic
Age of Reptiles
- CretaceousFinal Mesozoic period
- JurassicDinosaur-dominated geological period
- TriassicFirst Mesozoic period
dinosaurs · paleontology · fossils · excavation · petrification · sediment · amber · stratigraphy · carbon-dating · geology
beak
Horny avian mouthpart
toothless · lightweight · skeleton · phalange · digit · reptilian · cold-blooded · scales · ectothermic
Rodan
Giant prehistoric flying monster
dragon
Legendary fire-breathing reptile
- thunderbirdSpirit bird causing tempests
- rocGiant mythical bird
- QuetzalcoatlAztec feathered serpent god
cryptid · legendary · primitive · primordial
- Extinct Animalsdinosaur, dinosaurs, tyrannosaurus, dodo, mammoth
- Prehistoric Animalsdinosaur, dinosaurs, T-Rex, Velociraptor, Brachiosaurus
- Prehistoric Reptilesdinosaur, T-Rex, Velociraptor, Brachiosaurus, Spinosaurus
- Jurassic lifeBrachiosaurus, Archaeopteryx, Megalosaurus, sauropod, sauropods
- pterosaurs
- flying thingsairplane, bird, butterfly, helicopter, jet
pterodactylplesiosaur
Extinct marine reptile
ichthyosaur · mosasaur · sauropod · theropod · dinosaur