Dorygnathus

Dorygnathus had different kinds of teeth: four large fangs in the upper jaw and three or four in the lower jaw at the front, with smaller, straighter teeth behind. This is called heterodonty and is rare in modern reptiles.1

The fifth toe on its hind feet was unusually long and pointed sideways. Scientists think it may have supported a membrane, like the one on its wings.1

Dorygnathus was a close relative of the later pterosaur Rhamphorhynchus, and lived at the same time as another pterosaur called Campylognathoides in Germany.1

Over 50 specimens of Dorygnathus have been found, many in slate quarries. The best fossils are kept at the State Museum of Natural History Stuttgart in Germany.1

Some Dorygnathus teeth show wear from eating hard food like crustaceans or mollusks, not just fish.1

The smallest known Dorygnathus had a wingspan of 60 centimetres (2 feet). Scientists think very young juveniles could not fly far over the open sea.1