In Depth Named after the Volga River, Volgadraco shows morphological features that show the transition from the more basal azdarchid pterosaurs to the later genera that existed at the end of the Cretaceous. Later studies however have concluded that Volgadraco may actually have been either a nyctosaurid or pteranodont pterosaur. Further Reading – A New … Read more
In Depth The discovery of Pterodaustro was a fantastic find, as not only was it the first pterosaur to be discovered in South America, here was a pterosaur that filtered for food in a similar manner to a modern day flamingo. This is evidenced by the strongly upwards curing beak that instead of having more … Read more
In Depth The holotype specimen of Cearadactylus was not dug out of the ground by a dedicated research team, but was instead purchased from fossil dealers in Italy in 1983. Unfortunately these fossil dealers made several mistakes in rebuilding the fossil, including mistaking the front of the lower jaw for the snout and setting it … Read more
In Depth With a wingspan of at least a hundred and seventy-three centimetres Sericipterus was big for a basal pterosaur.It should be realised that the name which translates to ‘silk wing’ is not a reference to the appearance of the wings, but the fact that Sericipterus comes from an area that had the old ‘silk … Read more
In Depth Multiple species and the differences between male and female. Much like the pterosaurs Pterodactylus and Rhamphorhynchus, Pteranodon has suffered from the wastebasket taxon effect. This is because at the time of its discovery it was the only known toothless pterosaur, and as such any remains that suggested a toothless pterosaur were almost automatically … Read more
In Depth Remains of Ornithocheirus indicate that it was a medium sized pterosaur however Ornithocheirus has still had its total size grossly overestimated in the popular media, with the most outlandish suggesting that it had a wingspan of twelve metres. The crests of Ornithocheirus were quite different from the majority of other pterosaurs in that … Read more
In Depth Dendrorhynchoides caused some confusion when it was first described because while the overall body morphology is that of an anurognathid, the long tail is not a recognised characteristic of the group. However the answer for this is a very simple one. The holotype was obtained from illegal fossil dealers who had added the … Read more
In Depth Not much is known about Unwindia except that examination of its skull suggests its placement within the Ctenochasmatoidae perhaps in a basal position. This would make Unwindia a relative to the filter feeding pterosaur Pterodaustro that is also known from the same part of the world. Further Reading Further reading- A new pterodactyloid … Read more
In Depth Five neck vertebrae may not be much to go on when describing a pterosaur, but the elongated vertebra of Phosphatodraco are a signature feature of the azdarchid group of pterosaurs. The vertebra of Phosphatodraco are also quite unique in themselves by being elongated at the base as well as higher up and also … Read more
In Depth Huaxiapterus is a genus of pterosaur,that lived in China during the early Cretaceous. Further Reading - New tapejarid pterosaur from western Liaoning, China. - Acta Geologica Sinica 79(4):453-458. - J. L� & C. Yuan - 2005. - A new species of Huaxiapterus (Pterosauria: Pterodactyloidea) from the Lower Cretaceous of western Liaoning, China with … Read more