Dendrorhynchoides
Dendrorhynchoides was a tiny flying reptile that lived about 124 million years ago. It was one of the smallest pterosaurs ever, with a wingspan of only about 40 centimetres (16 inches). It probably fluttered through forests catching insects.1
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Fun facts
Its wingspan was only about 40 centimetres (16 inches), making it one of the smallest pterosaurs known.1
It had a short, broad head with very large eye sockets, giving it excellent eyesight for spotting insects.1
Its teeth were curved and about 3 millimetres long, perfect for gripping slippery insects.1
The first fossil was altered by fossil dealers who added a piece of a dromaeosaurid tail to make it look more valuable.1
Scientists think it may have hunted at night like modern bats or nightjars, using its big eyes to see in the dark.1
Its wings were short and its joints were very flexible, which helped it maneuver through trees while chasing prey.1
Most asked questions about Dendrorhynchoides
?Was Dendrorhynchoides a dinosaur?
No, it was a pterosaur, a flying reptile that is not a dinosaur.1
?How big was Dendrorhynchoides?
It had a wingspan of about 40 centimetres (16 inches), making it one of the smallest known pterosaurs.1
?What did Dendrorhynchoides eat?
It was an insectivore that ate insects. It had curved teeth about 3 millimetres long for gripping slippery prey.1
?Could Dendrorhynchoides fly?
Yes, it was a flying reptile with short wings and flexible joints that helped it maneuver through trees while chasing insects.1
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Myth buster
Myth: Some people think Dendrorhynchoides was a dinosaur because it lived with dinosaurs.
Truth: It was a pterosaur, a flying reptile, not a dinosaur.1
For dino experts
- Scientific name
- Dendrorhynchoides
- Named by
- Ji et al. 19993
- Group
- Flying reptiles
- Family / clade
- Anurognathidae3
- Classification
- Pterosauria3
- Age of the rocks
- 168 to 120 million years (Bathonian / Aptian)3
- Rock formations
- Yixian, Tiaojishan3
- Countries
- China3
- Fossil records
- 2 in the Paleobiology Database3
- Discovery
- The first fossil was found around 1995 and bought from illegal fossil dealers. It was named Dendrorhynchus in 1998, but that name was already used for a parasite, so it was renamed Dendrorhynchoides in 1999.1
- Still debated
- Scientists debate whether the first fossil came from the Early Cretaceous or the Middle Jurassic, because the fossil was originally obtained from dealers and its exact location is unclear.1
Where the facts come from
- Dendrorhynchoides (en.wikipedia.org)
- PBDB Taxon (paleobiodb.org)
- Dendrorhynchoides in The Paleobiology Database (CC BY 4.0): age, places, rock formations, classification.
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