Pteranodon

Pteranodon longiceps

There have been dozens of different Pterosaurs discovered, and today's animal is one of the best well known. In fact, it is the "type species" for the genus. This means that when you hear the term "Pteranodon," it refers to not just the genus that contains several difficult species, but also to a single specific species -- Pteranodon longiceps.

This large flying Reptile (Pterasaurs are not Dinosaurs) lived between 85 and 75 million years ago, and its fossils have been found in both Europe and North America. It was first discovered in Kansas back in 1876 by Othniel Charles Marsh, and many hundreds of fossils have since been found at and around that Kansas site.

Pteranodon had a massive wingspan-- most fossils show a spread of 20ft or more! Like modern birds, Pteranodon had hollow bones that made them light enough to fly. Interestingly, Pteranodon may have had fur!

Pteranodons were Carnivores, even though their beak mouths were missing teeth. Of course, the lack of teeth doesn't stop modern birds, so why would a 75 million year old Reptile be any different? Pteranodons captured sea creatures that swam near the surface of the water, and may have swallowed them whole.

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Status : Extinct, lived 85-75 million years ago
Location : Europe, North America
Size : Wingspan up to 20ft (6m)
Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Order : †Pterosauria -- Family : †Pteranodontidae
Genus : †Pteranodon -- Species :  P. longiceps
Image : Heinrich Harder, Andre Engels

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Sordes

Sordes pilosus

Meet Sordes, a small Pterosaur that flew around during the Late Jurassic-- 150 million years ago. It had a wingspan of around 1.5-2ft (so far from the gigantic Pterosaurs we see in pop-culture), and most likely ate small amphibians and insects.

The name Sordes refers to the genus, and it actually derives from a Greek word for devil. The actual species name, pilosus, means "hairy"... but we'll get to that in a second.

Sordes caused quite the ruckus when it was first discovered in Kazakhstan back in the late 1960s. You see, the fossils of these creatures showed that they had small hairs covering their bodies! This was the very first time that proof was given for Pterosaurs having hair. The presence of this body covering gives weight to the theory that Sordes was actually warm-blooded, rather than cold-blooded like many other Reptiles.

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Status : Extinct for 150 million years
Location : Central Asia
Size : Wingspan up to 1.5ft (45cm)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Reptilia -- Order : Pterosauria
Family : Rhamphorhynchidae -- Genus : Sordes -- Species : S. pilosus

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