Pteranodon longiceps (Male)

 

Pteranodon longiceps (Marsh, 1876) 

Pterosauria 

Pterodactyloidea 

Pteranodontoidea 

Pteranodontia 

Pteranodontidae 

Santonian (Late Cretaceous) 

Niobrara Formation, Pierre Shale 

Western Canada, Western United States 

Wingspan: 6.5 m 

Pteranodon was once thought of as a strictly aerial animal, too clumsy to walk much on land and too fragile to dip more than his beak into the water to catch fish. Modern analysis shows that Pteranodon was more than capable of both terrestrial locomotion and diving to catch fish. Distinct variation in pelvis shapes shows that this genus was high sexually dimorphic, with males being twice the size of females and sporting large crests. 

Tuesday, July 19th, 2022