Image: Pterosaur, Pteranodon ingens

Pterosaur, Pteranodon ingens. Name derived from: Greek ‘winged and toothless’. Pronounced: ter-AN-oh-don. Based on fossils from USA, Late Cretaceous, 86–71 million years ago.

 

Illustrator:

Anne Musser

Rights:

© Australian Museum

Additional information

Lifestyle: Pteranodon had a large head and toothless beak that it used for catching food, especially fish, while flying. Fur impressions on some fossils suggest this species was warm-blooded and active.

Features: Pteranodon was a short-tailed pterosaur. These replaced the long-tailed pterosaurs in the Cretaceous. Pterosaurs used all four limbs for flying and had relatively light bodies and hollow bones.

Classification: Pterosauria; Ornithocheiridae

Last Updated: 23 July 2009

Tags pterosaur, flying reptile, Late Cretaceous, dinosaur world,