Prehistoric Models: Pterosauria
Although Pterosaurs meaning “winged lizards” are the closely related contemporaries of dinosaurs, they are not actually classified as dinosaurs. They are commonly called “flying reptiles“. The earliest Pterosaurs appear in the fossil record in the fossil record during the late Triasic some 225 million years ago and are extinct by the late Cretaceous some 66 million years ago.
Some diagnostic features of pterosaurs are true powered flight with forelimbes modified into wings: membrane stretching from the tip of a greatly elongated finger. When they were not flying they were probably quadrupedal and all had hair-like (or proto-feathers) covering their bodies. To see my fossil Pterosaurs click here.
Kingdom: Animalia – Phylum: Chordata – Class: Reptilia – Order: Pterosauria
(Early Pterosaurs)
Late Triassic to Late Jurassic
Name: Dimorphodon “two form tooth”
Name pronounciation: Di-more-fo-don
Known Species: D. macronyx (type), D. weintraubi
Named by: Richard Owen -1859
Classification: Family: Dimorphodontidae – Subfamily: Dimorphodontinae
Time: Jurassic (Hattengian to Sinemurian)
Locality: England, Dorset – Jurassic Coast
Size: 1.4 m wingspan, 1 m long including tail
Diet: Insectivore
Name: Dimorphodon “two form tooth”
Name pronounciation: Di-more-fo-don
Known Species: D. macronyx (type), D. weintraubi
Named by: Richard Owen -1859
Classification: Family: Dimorphodontidae – Subfamily: Dimorphodontinae
Time: Jurassic (Hattengian to Sinemurian)
Locality: England, Dorset – Jurassic Coast
Size: 1.4 m wingspan, 1 m long including tail
Diet: Insectivore
Name: Rhamphorhynchus “beak snout”
Name pronounciation: Ram-foe-rink-us
Known Species: R. longicaudus (type), R. etchesi, R. muensteri
Named by: Christian Erich Hermann von Meyer -1846
CLassification: Family: Rhamphorhynchidae – Subfamily: Rhamphorhynchinae
Time: Jurassic (Oxfordian to Kimmeridgian)
Locality: Germany, Portugal, Tanzania
Size: 1.81 m wingspan, 1.26 m long including tail
Diet: Insectivore/Piscivore
Kingdom: Animalia – Phylum: Chordata – Class: Reptilia – Order: Pterosauria – Suborder: Pterodactyloidea
(Pterodactylomorpha)
Jurassic to Cretaceous
Name: Pterodactylus “wing finger”
Name pronounciation: Teh-roe-dack-till-us
Known Species: P. antiquus (type), possibly P. longicollum
Named by: Georges Cuvier -1809
Classification: Suborder: Pterodactyloidea
Time: Jurassic (Early Tithonian)
Locality: Africa, Europe
Size: Up to 1.5 m wingspan
Diet: Insectivore/Piscivore
Name: Anhanguera “Old devil”
Name pronounciation: Ahn-han-gair-ah
Known Species: A. blittersdorffi (type), A. piscator
Named by: Kellner and Campos – 1985
Classification: Suborder: Pterodactyloidea – Family: Anhanguera
Time: Cretaceous (Aptian)
Locality: Brazil – Santana Formation, Australia, Russia, United Kingdom – Cambridge Greensand
Size: 4.5 m wingspan
Diet: Piscivore
Name: Pterosaur “winged reptile” (No official bionomial species name)
Name pronounciation: Te-ran-o-sore
Known Species: (not given)
Named by: Paul Sereno
Classification: Suborder: Pterodactyloidea – Family: …
Time: Cretaceous (Albian)
Locality: Southern Sahara
Size: 3 m wingspan
Diet: Carnivore
Name: Dsungaripterus “Juuggar basin wing”
Name pronounciation: Sung-ah-rip-teh-rus (the D is silent and not prounced)
Known Species: D. weii (type)
Named by: Young – 1964
Classification: Suborder: Pterodactyloidea – Family: Dsungaripteridae
Time: Cretaceous (Aptian to Albian)
Locality: China – Juuggar Basin
Size: 3 to 3.5 m wingspan
Diet: Shellfish
Name: Dsungaripterus “Juuggar basin wing”
Name pronounciation: Sung-ah-rip-teh-rus (the D is silent and not prounced)
Known Species: D. weii (type)
Named by: Young – 1964
Classification: Suborder: Pterodactyloidea – Family: Dsungaripteridae
Time: Cretaceous (Aptian to Albian)
Locality: China – Juuggar Basin
Size: 3 to 3.5 m wingspan
Diet: Shellfish
Name: Tupuxuara “Familiar spirit”
Name pronounciation: Too-poo-hwar-ra
Known Species: T. longicristanus (type), T. leonradii, T. deliradamus
Named by: Kellner and Campos – 1998
Classification: Suborder: Pterodactyloidea – Family: Thalassodromidae
Time: Cretaceous (Albian)
Locality: Brazil – Santana Formation
Size: 5.5 m wingspan
Diet: Piscivore
Name: Tropeognathus “Keel jaw”
Name pronounciation: Trop-e-o-nay-thuss
Known Species: T. mesembrinus (type), T. robustus?
Named by: Peter Wellnhofer – 1987
Classification: Suborder: Pterodactyloidea – Family: Ornithocheiridae
Time: Cretaceous (Alptian to Albian)
Locality: Brazil – Santana Formation
Size: 8 m wingspan
Diet: Piscivore
Name: Tropeognathus “Keel jaw”
Name pronounciation: Trop-e-o-nay-thuss
Known Species: T. mesembrinus (type), T. robustus?
Named by: Peter Wellnhofer – 1987
Classification: Suborder: Pterodactyloidea – Family: Ornithocheiridae
Time: Cretaceous (Alptian to Albian)
Locality: Brazil – Santana Formation
Size: 8 m wingspan
Diet: Piscivore
Name: Ornithocheirus “Bird hand”
Name pronounciation: Or-nith-oh-kye-rus
Known Species: O. simus (type), O. mesembrinus
Named by: Harry Govier Seeley – 1869
Classification: Suborder: Pterodactyloidea – Family: Ornithocheiridae
Time: Cretaceous (Albian)
Locality: England – Cambridge Greensand, Brazil – Santana Formation
Size: 5 m wingspan
Diet: Piscivore
Name: Pterodaustro “Southern wing”
Name pronounciation: Teh-roe-daws-trow
Known Species: T. guinazui (type)
Named by: Jose Bonaparte – 1969
Classification: Suborder: Pterodactyloidea – Family: Ctenochasmatinae
Time: Cretaceous (Albian)
Locality: Argentina, San Luis Province – Lagarcito Formation, Chile – Santa Ana Formation
Size: 2.5 m wingspan
Diet: Filter feeder
Name: Pterodaustro “Southern wing”
Name pronounciation: Teh-roe-daws-trow
Known Species: T. guinazui (type)
Named by: Jose Bonaparte – 1969
Classification: Suborder: Pterodactyloidea – Family: Ctenochasmatinae
Time: Cretaceous (Albian)
Locality: Argentina, San Luis Province – Lagarcito Formation, Chile – Santa Ana Formation
Size: 2.5 m wingspan
Diet: Filter feeder
Name: Tapejara “Ancient Entity”
Name pronounciation: Top-ay-har-ah
Known Species: T. wellnhoferi (type)
Named by: Kellner – 1989
Classification: Suborder: Pterodactyloidea – Family: Tapejaridae
Time: Cretaceous (Albian)
Locality: Brazil – Santana Formation
Size: 3.5 m wingspan
Diet: Piscivore, possible Fugivore
Name: Pteranodon “toothless wing”
Name pronounciation: Teh-ran-oh-don
Known Species: P. longiceps (type), P. stembergi
Named by: Othniel Charles March -1876
Classification: Suborder: Pterodactyloidea – Family: Pteranodontidae
Time: Cretaceous (Coniacian to Campanian)
Locality: United States – Niobrara Formation, Pierre Shale Formation
Size: Males: 5.6 m wingspan, Females: 3.5 m
Diet: Piscivore
Name: Pteranodon “toothless wing”
Name pronounciation: Teh-ran-oh-don
Known Species: P. longiceps (type), P. stembergi
Named by: Othniel Charles March -1876
Classification: Suborder: Pterodactyloidea – Family: Pteranodontidae
Time: Cretaceous (Coniacian to Campanian)
Locality: United States – Niobrara Formation, Pierre Shale Formation
Size: Males: 5.6 m wingspan, Females: 3.5 m
Diet: Piscivore
Name: Guidraco “ghost dragon“
Name pronounciation: Gwe-dra-ko
Known Species: G. venator (type)
Named by:Wang Xiaolin, Alexander W.A. Kellner, Jiang Shunxing & Cheng Xinb - 2012
Classification: Suborder: Pterodactyloidea – Family: Pteranodontoidea/Ornithocheiridae?
Time: Cretaceous (Aptian)
Locality: China, Liaoning Province - Jiufotang Formation
Size: Wingspan uncertain due to lack of remains. Skull is 38 centimetres long
Diet: Piscivore
Name: Quetzalcoatlus “from Quetzalcoatl”
Name pronounciation: Kwet-zal-co-at-las
Known Species: Q. northropi (type)
Named by: Douglas A. Lawson -1975
Classification: Suborder: Pterodactyloidea – Family Azhdarchidae
Time: Cretaceous (Maastrichtian)
Locality: United States, Texas, Javelina Formation, Big Bend National Park
Size: Males: 11 m wingspan
Diet: Carnivore
Name: Quetzalcoatlus “from Quetzalcoatl”
Name pronounciation: Kwet-zal-co-at-las
Known Species: Q. northropi (type)
Named by: Douglas A. Lawson -1975
Classification: Suborder: Pterodactyloidea – Family Azhdarchidae
Time: Cretaceous (Maastrichtian)
Locality: United States, Texas, Javelina Formation, Big Bend National Park
Size: Males: 11 m wingspan
Diet: Carnivore
