Cearadactylus
Cearadactylus was a big flying reptile that soared over ancient seas about 112 million years ago. It used its long jaws and many teeth to catch slippery fish. Even though it could fly, it was not a dinosaur, but a pterosaur.12
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Fun facts
The first skull found was 57 centimeters long, about as long as a baseball bat.1
Scientists think it had about 16 to 18 teeth in its upper jaw and 11 to 13 in its lower jaw on each side.1
Its name means 'Ceará finger', because pterosaurs have a long wing finger that supports their wings.1
The first fossil was damaged and put together wrong, making the head look upside down. Later, scientists fixed it.1
It lived near the coast and probably flew over the ocean to catch fish.2
Some scientists think Cearadactylus might actually be the same animal as another pterosaur called Brasileodactylus.1
Most asked questions about Cearadactylus
?How big was Cearadactylus?
Its wingspan was about 4 meters (13 ft), and it weighed maybe 15 kilograms (33 lb). Another scientist estimated a wingspan of 5.5 meters (18 ft).1
?What did Cearadactylus eat?
It ate fish. Its long jaws and interlocking teeth helped it keep hold of slippery fish.1
?Did Cearadactylus have a crest?
Yes, after the fossil was fixed, scientists saw a crest on its snout.1
?When did Cearadactylus live?
It lived about 112 million years ago, during the Early Cretaceous period.1
?Was Cearadactylus a dinosaur?
No, it was a pterosaur, a flying reptile, not a dinosaur.1
?Is Cearadactylus the same as Brasileodactylus?
Some scientists think so. A 2025 study found Cearadactylus might actually be the same animal as Brasileodactylus.1
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Myth buster
Myth: People sometimes think Cearadactylus was a dinosaur.
Truth: It was a pterosaur, a flying reptile that is a close cousin of dinosaurs, but not a dinosaur.1
For dino experts
- Scientific name
- Cearadactylus
- Named by
- Leonardi and Borgomanero 19852
- Group
- Flying reptiles
- Family / clade
- Ornithocheiroidea2
- Classification
- Pterosauria > Pterodactyloidea2
- Age of the rocks
- 120 to 113 million years (Aptian)2
- Rock formations
- Romualdo2
- Countries
- Brazil2
- Fossil records
- 1 in the Paleobiology Database2
- Discovery
- It was named in 1985 by Giuseppe Leonardi and Guido Borgomanero from a skull found in Brazil. The fossil was traded to Italy and bought by Borgomanero for his collection.1
- Still debated
- Scientists still debate exactly how it is related to other pterosaurs, and some think it might be the same as Brasileodactylus.1
Where the facts come from
- Cearadactylus (en.wikipedia.org)
- Cearadactylus in The Paleobiology Database (CC BY 4.0): age, places, rock formations, classification.
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