In Depth Serradraco is a genus of pterosaur that lived during the early Cretaceous. Further Reading - A new pterosaur specimen from the Upper Tunbridge Wells Sand Formation (Cretaceous, Valanginian) of southern England and a review of Lonchodectes sagittirostris (Owen 1874). - Geological Society, London, Special Publications: SP455.5. - S. Rigal, D. M. Martill & … Read more
In Depth Although named from only relatively few bones, the fossil remains of Vectidraco are still enough to clearly identify it as a new distinct genus from other known pterosaur genera. The fossils of Vectidraco also show that in life the bones were pneumatised, a weight saving adaptation which meant that the bones of the … Read more
In Depth The forward dentition of Coloborhynchus was quite special with the front two teeth pointing forwards, and the immediate three pairs of teeth behind them pointing to the sides. This tooth arrangement would have made it much easier for Coloborhynchus to catch and carry fish out of the water. The remaining teeth behind the … Read more
In Depth The problem with Lonchodectes is that the genus continues to be treated somewhat like a wastebasket with the most fragmentary remains being attributed to it, which explains the broad temporal range of Lonchodectes in the fossil record. The reason for this is mostly down to is taxonomic history with the first sets of … Read more
In Depth Although easily one of the oldest known pterosaurs, Peteinosaurus has not been well preserved. Still, Peteinosaurus does display features that are similar to Preondactylus, to the extent that the suggestion has been put forward that the two genera are actually one and the same genus, just at different life stages. If this is … Read more
In Depth Brasileodactylus may have had a crest on the back of its head, and this is why Ludodactylus has been suggested as a synonym of Brasileodactylus. Both pterosaurs have very similar skulls, but Ludodactylus has a crest similar in appearance to that of Pteranodon. If Brasileodactylus is proven to have a crest like Ludodactylus … Read more
In Depth Daohugoupterus is a genus of small pterosaur that is so far known from Inner Mongolia. Daohugoupterus is thought to be related to genera such as Anurognathus, Dendrorhynchoides and Jeholopterus. Further Reading - Short note on a non-pterodactyloid pterosaur from the Upper Jurassic deposits of Inner Mongolia, China ‘Historical Biology. An International Journal of … Read more
In Depth Ferrodraco is a genus of pterosaur known to have lived in Australia during the late Cretaceous. Ferrodraco is an ornithocheird pterosaur, a type often associated with the sea, snatching fish from the water. Like many of its relatives, Ferrodraco had a crest rising up on the end of the snout, which in Ferrodraco … Read more
In Depth Arthurdactylus conandoylei was named after the author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and while he is most famous for writing the Sherlock Holmes stories, he also wrote The Lost World. For those not familiar with the story it is about a group of explorers who discover a plateau in South America where dinosaurs and … Read more
In Depth Istiodactylus had actually been known to science since 1913 except it was known as Ornithodesmus until it was realised that some of the remains associated to it belonged to a theropod dinosaur. With this realisation the known pterosaur remains were renamed Istiodactylus. Istiodactylus had quite a unique beak that was rounded at the … Read more