Pteranodon
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When it was named by Othniel Charles Marsh in 1876, Pteranodon was the first pterosaur from North America, and the first toothless one. Hundreds of Pteranodon specimens have been unearthed since, making it one of the most well-known and famous pterosaurs. Most are crushed flat, but the sample size is so large a lot is known about its anatomy and lifestyle. Pteranodon is a large pterosaur (the wingspans of males reached up to 20 feet, females being smaller) with a long, toothless beak. It's known for the large triangular crest pointing out of the back of the heads of males. Femalse have a smaller, more rounded crest. Pteranodon has a short, solidly-built neck and large wings. Its tail vertebrae are elongated at the end, interestingly split into paired rods. Pteranodon was clearly an excellent flier, well-adapted for soaring over seas. Most fossils are found well out at sea, far from the nearest oastline. Interestingly, no juvenile fossils are known. Perhaps they stuck to the coasts. Regurgitated gut contents prove Pteranodon ate fish, likely snatching or diving after fish from the water surface (or dive-bombing from the sky). Adult Pteranodon are sexually dimorphic - males are larger and have larger crests, while females have larger pelvic canals, presumably for ease of laying eggs. The ratio of males to females is roughly 2:3, similar to lekking animals such as elephant seals. Our Pteranodon live in the Pterosaur Tides exhibit. The group consists of one male (Sternberg) and two females (Sharon and Niobrara). They have a habit of projectile vomiting. We don't know if this is normal. |
Scientific name Location Time Wingspan Diet |