Dino card No. 0517 of 2,027

Dimorphodon

Say it: dy-MOR-fə-don

Name means: “two-form tooth”1

Ate: MeatFlying reptilesEarly JurassicNot technically a dinosaur

Dimorphodon was a flying reptile that lived during the Early Jurassic, about 201 to 191 million years ago. It had two different kinds of teeth in its jaws, which is rare for reptiles. It probably hunted small animals and insects.1

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

Lived

201 to 184 million years ago4

Early Jurassic

Fossils found in

England, United Kingdom and Tamaulipas, Mexico1 2

Food

Meat1

Length

1 m3

Wingspan

1.7 m3

When did it live?

Triassic

Jurassic

Cretaceous

252 million years ago20114566, the asteroid

How big was it?

How long was it?

as long as 2 house cats nose to tailas long as 6 bananas end to end

How big was Dimorphodon compared to YOU?

Just maths in your browser. Nothing is saved or sent anywhere.

cool stuff

Fun facts

Dimorphodon was named by famous paleontologist Richard Owen in 1859.1

The first fossils of Dimorphodon were found by fossil collector Mary Anning in Lyme Regis, England, in 1828.1

Dimorphodon had a large, light skull with big openings and large eyes.3

Its wings were made of skin stretched from an extra-long fourth finger to its hip or hind legs.3

Dimorphodon was not a strong flier; it probably made short, frantic flights like modern chickens or woodpeckers.1

On the ground, Dimorphodon likely walked on two legs and folded its wings like birds and bats do.3

A second species, Dimorphodon weintraubi, was named in 1998 from fossils found in Mexico.1

AI-made picture of Dimorphodon — An AI-made picture of how Dimorphodon 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 Dimorphodon

?How big was Dimorphodon?

About 1 metre long, with a wingspan of about 1.45 metres.1

?What did Dimorphodon eat?

It probably hunted small vertebrates and also ate insects. Some scientists think it was an insectivore, but recent studies suggest it was a vertebrate predator.1

?Could Dimorphodon fly well?

No, it was not a strong flier. It likely made short, frantic flights like modern chickens or woodpeckers, and could not fly for long distances.1

?When did Dimorphodon live?

It lived during the Early Jurassic Period, about 201 to 191 million years ago.1

?Where was Dimorphodon found?

The first fossils were found in Lyme Regis, England, by Mary Anning in 1828. A second species was later found in Mexico.1

?Why is it called Dimorphodon?

Its name means 'two-form tooth' because it had two different types of teeth in its jaws: long fangs at the front and smaller pointed teeth behind.1

?Is Dimorphodon a dinosaur?

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

?How did Dimorphodon walk on the ground?

It likely walked on all fours, using its wings as front limbs, rather than walking on two legs.1

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Myth buster

Myth: Dimorphodon was a seabird-like glider that soared over the ocean.

Truth: Recent studies show it had short, robust wings and was a poor glider, relying on short, flapping flights.1

For dino experts

Scientific name: Dimorphodon
Named by: Owen 18594
Group: Flying reptiles
Family / clade: Dimorphodontidae4
Classification: Pterosauria4
Age of the rocks: 201 to 184 million years (Hettangian / Pliensbachian)4
Rock formations: Blue Lias, La Boca4
Countries: United Kingdom, Mexico4
Fossil records: 3 in the Paleobiology Database4
Discovery: The first fossils were found by Mary Anning in 1828 in England. Richard Owen named the genus Dimorphodon in 1859 after studying skulls that showed two types of teeth.1
Still debated: Scientists still debate whether Dimorphodon mainly ate insects or small vertebrates, though recent studies lean toward a vertebrate diet.1

Where the facts come from

Dimorphodon (en.wikipedia.org)
PBDB Taxon (paleobiodb.org)
Dimorphodon | Pterosaur, Jurassic, Flying Reptile (britannica.com)
Dimorphodon 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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