Pteranodon: the toothless flying reptile above an ancient sea
Pteranodon flew over a sea that once covered part of North America. It lived during the Late Cretaceous. Its long beak had no teeth. It was a pterosaur, a member of a group of flying reptiles. Pterosaurs were close relatives of dinosaurs, but were not dinosaurs themselves. A sea can disappear as climates and continents change. Rocks left behind may still preserve the animals that lived around it. Fossils found inland today can therefore come from a former marine setting. [1] [2] [3]
A wing built around a finger
The wings were very different from a bird's wings. A greatly lengthened fourth finger supported much of each wing. Skin formed the flying surface around that support. The other fingers remained much shorter. This produced a wing through a different design from feathers on a bird's arm. Lengthening one finger changed the reach of the entire wing. The membrane needed that support to hold its flying shape. A bird spreads long feathers along its arm instead, showing another way to build a wing. [1] [2] [3]
A beak above the water
Fish remains provide evidence of what Pteranodon ate. Its sea environment also fits a life built around finding aquatic food. That does not settle every detail of its fishing technique. Catching fish can involve several different movements. Fossils reveal the food more clearly than the exact moment it was caught. Food remains can connect an animal with a particular kind of meal. They seldom preserve every movement used to obtain it. The fishing pose in an illustration fills in a moment that the fossil does not usually record. [1] [2] [3]
The crest behind the head
A bony crest projected behind the skull. Its size and shape varied among specimens. Researchers study those differences in relation to growth and sex. A crest may also have played a role in display. The beak, crest and finger-supported wings together made Pteranodon a very distinctive flyer. A young animal may not carry the same crest shape as a fully grown one. Different individuals must therefore be compared with growth in mind. Otherwise, normal changes can be mistaken for completely different kinds of pterosaur. [1] [2] [3]