How It Works-Book Of Dinosaurs

DID YOU KNOW? (^) The name ‘Pterosaur’ comes from the Greek words ‘Pteron’ (wing) and ‘Sauros’ (lizard)
These giant creatures fed on
fi sh and scavenged animals
Head
The skulls of
pterosaurs acted
as a rudder in
flight, with some
later evolving rich
ornamentation
on top to
attract mates
Tupandactylus imperator
had a large crest on its head
© H Zell
The hollow bones of the pterosaurs led many scientists to
believe that their w ings could not produce the power
needed to achieve flight from a standstill without wind
assistance. Recent fossil evidence has indicated that smaller
pterosaurs could achieve sustainable f light, although the
larger creatures still struggled to get airborne w ithout help.
Flying with wings
The Pterodact ylus is arguably the most famous
pterosaur. Its iconic features were characteristic of
many pterosaurs, although a longer neck and a
shorter tail ensured it was more suited to flight than
its earlier ancestors, the rhamphorhy nchoids.
Pterodactylus
This little pinky
Their wings were
suspended from elongated
fourth digits and joined to
their legs and their body
Walk, don’t run
Early pterosaurs
struggled to walk with
their wings closely
attached to their legs
Hollow bones
Pterosaurs were very
light and able to fly
thanks to their hollow
bones filled with air sacs
Size
With its wingspan and
body measuring over a
metre, pterodactylus was
not the largest pterosaur
Mouth
The long jaws allowed it
to hunt fish, using its
small teeth to grab
them out of the water
Feet
Fossil evidence of feet with
long claws indicates early
pterosaurs lived on rocks
and in treetops
© Nobu Tamura
© Thin k stock