Page 23 - DINOSOUR ATLAS

d quetzalCoatlus
One of the last and biggest of the
pterosaurs, Quetzalcoatlus had a huge
wingspan of at least 36 ft (11 m). Its long,
toothless beak was adapted for catching
fish, and it probably spent much of its
time soaring over oceans like an albatross.

pteranodon sternbergi

dsungaripterus
a small vane
at the tip of the tail
acted like a rudder,
improving agility
in the air gnathosaurus

anhanguera
rhamphorhynChus u
Early pterosaurs like Rhamphorhynchus had long tails
and no crests on their heads. Fossils of close
relatives show that they had furry bodies. The fur
would have acted as insulation, suggesting that the
pterosaurs were probably warm-blooded, like birds.

tropeognathus

pteranodon ingens

germanodactylus

u ColorFul Crests
Many of the advanced pterosaurs of the
Cretaceous had bony crests on their skulls or
jaws. Some fossils show traces of soft extensions
u pterosaur egg u pterosaur Fossil to these crests, which may have been brightly
A fossil pterosaur egg recently discovered in Some pterosaurs have been preserved in colored. Male pterosaurs seem to have had
China contained a fully developed, unhatched fine-grained rocks that show every detail of bigger crests than females, and they were
baby. The shape of the egg suggests that it their fragile skeletons. This fossil Pterodactylus probably used to enhance courtship displays.
had a soft shell, like that of a modern reptile. was found in Late Jurassic limestone.
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