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Anurognathus

Say it: an-YOO-rog-NAY-thus

Name means: “frog jaw”1

Ate: InsectsFlying reptilesLate JurassicNot technically a dinosaur

Anurognathus was a tiny pterosaur that lived in the Late Jurassic. It had a very short, wide head and big eyes, like a little flying frog. It probably hunted insects at dusk.1 2

Fun fact: pterosaurs flew over the dinosaurs, but they were their cousins, not dinosaurs themselves.

Lived

149 to 145 million years ago4

Late Jurassic

Fossils found in

Eichstätt, Germany (Solnhofen limestone)4 1

Food

Insects1 2

Length

0.09 m3

Wingspan

0.35 m1

Weight

0.04 kg1

When did it live?

Triassic

Jurassic

Cretaceous

252 million years ago20114566, the asteroid

How big was it?

How long was it?

How heavy was it?

as heavy as 0.5 bananas

lighter than a house cat

How big was Anurognathus compared to YOU?

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cool stuff

Fun facts

Anurognathus had a very short tail, unlike most early pterosaurs. This made it more maneuverable when hunting insects.1

Its skull was wider than it was long, and its eyes were huge. This helped it see well in dim light.1 2

Anurognathus weighed only about 40 grams (1.4 ounces), as light as a small bird.1

Its wings were short and broad, and it could probably fly slowly and twist through tight spaces.1 2

Scientists think Anurognathus had bristles around its mouth, like a fringe, to help catch insects.1 2

Only two fossils of Anurognathus have been found, both in Germany. One is a juvenile.1

AI-made picture of Anurognathus — An AI-made picture of how Anurognathus might have looked, made by a computer from what scientists know. It is a guess: the real animal may have looked different, and nobody knows its true colours.

you asked

Most asked questions about Anurognathus

?How big was Anurognathus?

Anurognathus was tiny, with a wingspan of about 35 cm (14 in) and a weight of only 40 grams (1.4 oz), as light as a small bird.1

?What did Anurognathus eat?

It ate insects. Its pin-like teeth and small mouth were perfect for catching tiny bugs about 11 mm long.1

?Could Anurognathus fly?

Yes, it was a pterosaur and could fly. It had short, broad wings and probably flew slowly and maneuvered well to catch insects at dusk.1

?Did Anurognathus have feathers?

No, it did not have feathers. It had a fuzzy coat of hair-like fibers called pycnofibers, and possibly bristles around its mouth.1

?When did Anurognathus live?

Anurognathus lived during the Late Jurassic period, about 150 to 148 million years ago.1

?Why did Anurognathus have big eyes?

Its huge eyes helped it see well in dim light, so it could hunt insects at dusk or in the dark.1

?Is Anurognathus a dinosaur?

No, Anurognathus is a pterosaur, a flying reptile that is not a dinosaur.1

?How many fossils of Anurognathus have been found?

Only two fossils have been found, both in Germany. One is a juvenile, and the other is a subadult.1

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Myth buster

Myth: Some people think Anurognathus was a dinosaur.

Truth: Anurognathus was a pterosaur, a flying reptile that is not a dinosaur.4

For dino experts

Scientific name: Anurognathus
Named by: Döderlein 19234
Group: Flying reptiles
Family / clade: Anurognathidae4
Classification: Pterosauria4
Age of the rocks: 149 to 145 million years (Tithonian)4
Rock formations: Solnhofener Plattenkalk4
Countries: Germany4
Fossil records: 1 in the Paleobiology Database4
Discovery: Anurognathus was named by Ludwig Döderlein in 1923. He bought the first fossil from a collector in 1922. It was found in the Solnhofen limestone of Germany.1
Still debated: Scientists still debate whether Anurognathus was a fast flyer that surprised its prey, or a slow, maneuverable hunter like a nightjar.1

Where the facts come from

Anurognathus (en.wikipedia.org)
A second specimen of the pterosaurAnurognathus ammoni | PalZ | Springer Nature Link (link.springer.com)
PaleoCodex :: Anurognathus (paleocodex.com)
Anurognathus in The Paleobiology Database (CC BY 4.0): age, places, rock formations, classification.

Every fact on this page has a number that points to its source. If we got something wrong, sorry, we are dino fans, not a science journal. Tell us at [email protected] and we will fix it.

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