pterosaurs
Mesozoic winged reptiles
Pterosaurs were flying reptiles that lived during the age of dinosaurs, though they were not dinosaurs themselves.
They ranged from sparrow-sized to creatures with forty-foot wingspans—the largest animals ever to fly.
Their wings were membranes of skin stretched along an elongated fourth finger.
The group went extinct alongside the dinosaurs about 66 million years ago.
Tip-to-tip extent
- membraneThin tissue sheet
- hollow bonesAir-filled skeletal structure
- crestHighest point or tuft
- beakHorny avian mouthpart
pneumatic bones · teeth · claws · hindlimbs · skull · pelvis · cervical vertebrae
Engineless aerial movement
- soaringRising effortlessly upward
- flappingRapid wing motion
- aerialElevated, or signal-catcher
- airborneTraveling through air
takeoff · landing · thermals · wingspan · locomotion · launch · powered flight · aerodynamics
Creature eating only animals
- fish-eaterOne consuming aquatic vertebrates
- filter feederAnimal straining waterborne nutrients
- scavengerSeeker of refuse
- coastalOf the shoreline
marine · inland · nesting · colonies · diet · prey · hunting · shoreline
Preserved ancient organism
- MesozoicAge of Reptiles
- TriassicFirst Mesozoic period
- JurassicDinosaur-dominated geological period
- CretaceousFinal Mesozoic period
extinction · specimen · excavation · sediment · formation · trackway · preservation · coprolite
Giant prehistoric flying monster
- Jurassic ParkDinosaur amusement park catastrophe
- monsterFrightening imaginary creature
- documentaryFactual film about reality
- paleoartImagery of vanished species
museum display · reconstruction · popular science · misconception · children's books · toys · animation · video games
wingspan
Tip-to-tip extent
- membraneThin tissue sheet
- hollow bonesAir-filled skeletal structure
- crestHighest point or tuft
beak · pneumatic bones · teeth · claws · hindlimbs · skull · pelvis · cervical vertebrae
gliding
Engineless aerial movement
airborne · takeoff · landing · thermals · wingspan · locomotion · launch · powered flight · aerodynamics · maneuverability
carnivore
Creature eating only animals
- fish-eaterOne consuming aquatic vertebrates
- filter feederAnimal straining waterborne nutrients
- scavengerSeeker of refuse
coastal · marine · inland · nesting · colonies · diet · prey · hunting · shoreline · lagoon
fossil
Preserved ancient organism
Cretaceous · extinction · specimen · excavation · sediment · formation · trackway · preservation · coprolite · embedding
Rodan
Giant prehistoric flying monster
- Jurassic ParkDinosaur amusement park catastrophe
- monsterFrightening imaginary creature
- documentaryFactual film about reality
paleoart · museum display · reconstruction · popular science · misconception · children's books · toys · animation · video games · media
Pterodactylus
Extinct flying reptile genus
- pterosaurs
- flightflying, fly, flight, aviation, aircraft
- vertebratesmammals, mammal, birds, bird, reptiles
- Mesozoicdinosaurs, Velociraptor, Brachiosaurus, Spinosaurus, Mesozoic
- Extinct Animalsdinosaur, dinosaurs, tyrannosaurus, dodo, mammoth
- extinct creaturesdinosaurs, trilobites, ammonites, mammoths, plesiosaurs
pterosaursdinosaurs
Extinct prehistoric reptiles
birds · theropods · sauropods · mammals · crocodilians
pterosaursplesiosaurs
Prehistoric marine reptiles
marine reptiles · ichthyosaurs · mosasaurs · sea creatures · burrowing animals