Tendaguripterus

Ten-da-gu-rip-teh-rus.
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Harper Gray

Paleoartist

Harper Grey combines artistic talent with scientific precision to bring extinct creatures and environments back to life. Collaborating closely with paleontologists

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Name

Tendaguripterus (Tendaguru wing).

Phonetic

Ten-da-gu-rip-teh-rus.

Named By

David Unwin & Wolf-Dieter Heinrich - 1999.

Classification

Chordata. Reptilia, Pterosauria, Pterodactyloidea, Dsungaripteroidea, Tendaguripteridae.

Diet

Piscivore.

Species

T. recki

Size

Estimated 1 meter wingspan.

Known locations

Tanzania.

Time Period

Kimmeridgian to Tithonian of the Jurassic.

Fossil representation

Partial remains of one individual.

In Depth

       Many people have considered Tendaguripterus to have fed upon fish because the sharp teeth point towards the mouth meaning that prey could not easily escape. Later studies have led to the proposition that Tendaguripterus may have actually preferred a shellfish diet.

Further Reading

Further reading- On a pterosaur jaw from the Upper Jurassic of Tendaguru (Tanzania). – Mitteilungen aus dem Museum f�r Naturkunde in Berlin, Geowissenschaftliche Reihe 2:121-134. – D. M. Unwin & W. D. Heinrich – 1999.

SPECIES SPOTLIGHT