Bergamodactylus
Bergamodactylus was a small flying reptile that lived in the Late Triassic, about 215 to 211 million years ago. It had a long wing finger and sharp teeth, and it soared over ancient seas in what is now Italy. It was not a dinosaur, but a pterosaur, a cousin of dinosaurs.13
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Fun facts
Bergamodactylus was named in 2015 by Alexander Kellner, but the same fossil was earlier thought to be a young Eudimorphodon or Carniadactylus.1
The only known specimen is a skeleton with parts of the skull and most of the body, but it lacks the tail.1
Its teeth were complex with multiple cusps, similar to its relative Eudimorphodon, but they show little wear, so it probably ate soft food.1
The fossil was found in the Zorzino Limestone Formation, which was a marine environment, so it likely flew over the sea.3
Some scientists think Bergamodactylus is actually the same animal as Carniadactylus, because the differences might just be due to age or individual variation.1
Most asked questions about Bergamodactylus
?How big was Bergamodactylus?
It was small, with a wingspan of about 70 centimetres (roughly 2.3 feet). That is about as wide as a large pizza.12
?What did Bergamodactylus eat?
It probably ate soft-bodied prey like worms and insect larvae. Its teeth show little wear, unlike the fish-eating Eudimorphodon.2
?Is Bergamodactylus a dinosaur?
No, it is a pterosaur, a flying reptile that is a cousin of dinosaurs.1
?When did Bergamodactylus live?
It lived in the Late Triassic, about 215 to 211 million years ago.1
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Myth buster
Myth: Bergamodactylus was a dinosaur.
Truth: It was a pterosaur, a flying reptile that is a close cousin of dinosaurs, but not a dinosaur itself.1
For dino experts
- Scientific name
- Bergamodactylus
- Named by
- Kellner 20153
- Group
- Flying reptiles
- Family / clade
- Campylognathoididae3
- Classification
- Pterosauria3
- Age of the rocks
- 215 to 211 million years (Norian)3
- Rock formations
- Zorzino Limestone3
- Countries
- Italy3
- Fossil records
- 1 in the Paleobiology Database3
- Discovery
- The fossil was first described in 1978 by Rupert Wild, who thought it was a young Eudimorphodon. In 2015, Alexander Kellner named it Bergamodactylus wildi, honoring Wild.1
- Still debated
- Scientists still debate whether Bergamodactylus is a separate species or just a young Carniadactylus, because the differences might be due to growth stage.1
Where the facts come from
- Carniadactylus (en.wikipedia.org)
- Carniadactylus (Wikipedia) (Wikipedia)
- Bergamodactylus in The Paleobiology Database (CC BY 4.0): age, places, rock formations, classification.
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