Chordata

Rhamphorhynchus muensteri

Rhamphorhynchus muensteri
Scale 7 Diat: carbon-macromolecules , Hierachy 3
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Animalia, Chordata, Pterosauria

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Rhamphorhynchus means “beak snout.” This pterosaur has been found in Germany. It had a very long tail, and its long needle-like teeth helped it catch fish over open water.

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Graphic by Raúl Martinwww.amnh.org/
Rhamphorhynchus /ˌræmfəˈrɪŋkəs/, “beak snout”, is a genus of long-tailed pterosaurs in the Jurassic period. Less specialized than contemporary, short-tailed pterodactyloid pterosaurs such as Pterodactylus, it had a long tail, stiffened with ligaments, which ended in a characteristic diamond-shaped vane. The jaws of Rhamphorhynchus housed needle-like teeth, which were angled forward, with a curved, sharp, beak-like […] read more

Pterodactylus antiquus

Pterodactylus antiquus
Scale 6 Diat: carbon-macromolecules , Hierachy 3
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Animalia, Chordata, Pterosauria

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These were the first pterosaurs ever to be identified, found in 1784 by the German scientist Cosimo Alessandro Collini for the wonder cabinet he curated.

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Graphic by Raúl Martinwww.amnh.org/
Pterodactylus (/ˌtɛrəˈdæktɨləs/ terr-ə-dak-til-əs, from the Greek πτεροδάκτυλος, pterodaktulos, meaning “winged finger”) is a genus of pterosaurs, whose members are popularly known as pterodactyls ( /ˌtɛrəˈdæktɨlz/). It is currently thought to contain only a single species, Pterodactylus antiquus, the first pterosaur species to be named and identified as a flying reptile. The fossil remains of this […] read more

Nyctosaurus gracilis

Nyctosaurus gracilis
Scale 6 Diat: carbon-macromolecules , Hierachy 3
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Animalia, Chordata, Pterosauria

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Nyctosaurus means “night lizard.” It has been found in the Niobrara Formation of the mid-western United States. Nyctosaurus possessed an extraordinarily large antler like crest, which is surprising given how small the pterosaur was.

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Graphic by Raúl Martinwww.amnh.org/
Nyctosaurus is a genus of pterodactyloid pterosaur, the remains of which have been found in the Niobrara Formationof the mid-western United States, which, during the late Cretaceous Period, was covered in an extensive shallow sea. The genus Nyctosaurus has had numerous species referred to it, though how many of these may actually be valid requires […] read more

Tapejara wellnhoferi

Tapejara wellnhoferi
Scale 8 Diat: carbon-macromolecules , Hierachy 3
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Animalia, Chordata, Pterosauria

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Tapejara means “old being” and has been found in Northeast Brazil. The tip of its lower jaw is turned downward. It may have been a fruit eater, or skimmed the surface of the ocean for fish.

Graphic by Raúl Martinwww.amnh.org/
Tapejara (from a Tupi word meaning “the old being”) is a genus of Brazilian pterosaur from the Cretaceous Period (Santana Formation, dating to about 108 Ma ago). Tapejara crests consisted of a semicircular crest over the snout, and a bony prong which extended back behind the head. The type species and only one currently recognized […] read more

Quetzalcoatlus northropi

Quetzalcoatlus northropi
Scale 9 Diat: carbon-macromolecules , Hierachy 3
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Animalia, Chordata, Pterosauria

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Named after both the Aztec air god Quetzalcoatl and the Northrop Corporation, this Texan pterosaur had a wingspan of roughly 33 feet (the size of a 2 person airplane) and a height of 16-18 feet!

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Graphic by Raúl Martinwww.amnh.org/
Quetzalcoatlus /kɛtsəlkoʊˈætləs/ was a pterodactyloid pterosaur known from the Late Cretaceous of North America (Maastrichtian stage) and one of the largest known flying animals of all time. It was a member of the Azhdarchidae, a family of advanced toothless pterosaurs with unusually long, stiffened necks. Its name comes from the Mesoamericanfeathered serpent god Quetzalcoatl. When […] read more

Dimorphodon macronyx

Dimorphodon macronyx
Scale 7 Diat: carbon-macromolecules , Hierachy 3
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Animalia, Chordata, Pterosauria

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Dimorphodon macronyx was discovered near Lyme Regis, England, on what is now called the Jurassic Coast. Dimorphodon means “two-form tooth,” which refers to its two distinct types of teeth. Macronyx refers to its large claws.

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Graphic by Raúl Martinwww.amnh.org/
Dimorphodon /daɪˈmɔrfədɒn/ was a genus of medium-sized pterosaur from the early Jurassic Period. It was named bypaleontologist Richard Owen in 1859. Dimorphodon means “two-form tooth”, derived from Greek δι/di meaning ‘two’,μορφη/morphe meaning ‘shape’ and οδων/odon meaning ‘tooth’, referring to the fact that it had two distinct types of teeth in its jaws – which is […] read more