Pteranodon

Pteranodon (Greek for "toothless wing"), from the Late Cretaceous of Western North America, was one of the largest pterosaurs of all time, with a wingspan of about 7.5m/ 25 feet. Unlike earlier pterosaurs such as Rhamphorhynchus and Pterodactylus, Pteranodon had a toothless beak, like a bird. A fossil preserving fish in the throat region of Pteranodon indicates that the animal was a fish eater. The enormous length of the wings meant that they could not be beat rapidly and so Pteranodon probably spent much of its time gliding. Despite its incredible wingspan, it may have weighed little more than 15 kg., enabling it to glide slowly. With a low sinking speed, Pteranodon may have been able to soar on marine thermals, like living frigate birds. On land, Pteranodon was probably clumsy.

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Pteranodon was notable for its skull crest. These may have been used as mating displays, in a similar fashion to how a peacock uses its tail feathers, or it might have acted as a rudder, or perhaps both. It has been suggested that males of the species bore larger crests, but with fossils it is often difficult to tell whether differences in crest shape reflect different sexes or different species.

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A number of species of Pteranodon have been named, including Pteranodon ingens, P. longiceps, and P. sternbergi.

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Cretaceous: The Cretaceous period is one of the major divisions of the geologic timescale, reaching from the end of the Jurassic period (about 146 MYA) to the beginning of the Paleocene epoch of the Tertiary period (65.5 mya). The end of the Cretaceous also defines the boundary between the Mesozoic and Cenozoic...

Pterosaurs: REDIRECT Pterosaur...

Rhamphorhynchus: Rhamphorynchus is either:...

Pteranodon related Images and Photos (experimental)

Pteranodon

Pteranodon Model Kit

Pteranodon Dinosaur Chopsticks