Pteranodon
The Pteranodon was actually not a dinosaur. It was a flying reptile-like creature that developed at the same time as the dinosaur, possibly from the same ancestor. It was classed as in the Pterosaurs.
 |
Like the other Pterosaurs the Pteranodon walked upright and had straight ankles. It had hollow bones to make it lighter for flying. The wings were a development that came as a modification of the Pterosaur's hands. The fourth finger became extremely elongated and acted as a frame for the wing membrane which allowed for flight, or at least gliding. The other three fingers remained present and stuck out about half way down the wing.
With its long beak, the Pteranodon may have skidded along the surface of lakes or bays to scoop up water creatures. The large crest sticking out of the back of its head acted as counterweight to this heavy beak allowing it to remain balanced in flight. Pteranodons are thought to have had webbed feet to aid in swimming. They probably lived in coastal regions living on fish. Some paleontologists believe that they were warm-blooded and coated with fur or possibly feathers.
The Pteranodon could reach six feet in length and weighed about 35 pounds. Its wingspan could reach as wide as 23 feet. Remains of this creature were found in the south-west of the United States and was first described by Othniel C. Marsh in 1876. It lived about 85 to 75 million years ago during the Cretaceous Period of the Mesozoic Era.
< Woolly Mammoth | Spinosaurus >
