Dino card No. 1498 of 2,027

Pterodactylus

Say it: TERR-oh-DAK-til-us

Name means: “winged finger”1

Ate: MeatFlying reptilesEarly Jurassic to Early CretaceousNot technically a dinosaur

Pterodactylus was one of the first flying reptiles ever discovered. It lived during the Late Jurassic period, about 150 million years ago, and had wings made of skin and muscle that stretched from its long fourth finger to its back legs. It was a small pterosaur that probably ate insects and other small animals.1 2

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

Lived

201 to 133 million years ago3

Early Jurassic to Early Cretaceous

Fossils found in

Bavaria, Germany, with additional fossils possibly from France, Portugal, Tanzania, and the United Kingdom1 3

Food

Meat1

Length

0.5 to 1 m1

estimated adult size

Wingspan

0.5 to 1.5 m1

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 Pterodactylus compared to YOU?

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

cool stuff

Fun facts

Pterodactylus was the first pterosaur ever named and identified as a flying reptile, in 1809 by French scientist Georges Cuvier.1

Its fossils are often found in the Solnhofen limestone of Germany, which preserved soft body parts like jellyfish and feathers.1 2

Pterodactylus lived alongside other pterosaurs such as Rhamphorhynchus and Anurognathus, as well as the early bird Archaeopteryx.1

Unlike birds, pterosaurs like Pterodactylus were reptiles and their wings were made of skin and muscle, not feathers.2

Pterodactylus had a relatively high bite force for its size, which helped it crush the shells of invertebrates.1

The name Pterodactylus means 'winged finger' because its wing was supported by one very long finger.1

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

?How big was Pterodactylus?

Pterodactylus was a small pterosaur with an estimated adult wingspan of about 1.04 metres (3.4 feet).1

?What did Pterodactylus eat?

Pterodactylus was a generalist carnivore that probably ate invertebrates and small vertebrates. It had a relatively high bite force that helped it crush the shells of invertebrates.1

?When did Pterodactylus live?

Pterodactylus lived during the Late Jurassic period, about 150.8 to 148.5 million years ago.1

?Where were Pterodactylus fossils found?

Most Pterodactylus fossils have been found in the Solnhofen limestone of Bavaria, Germany. A few fragmentary remains have also been tentatively identified from elsewhere in Europe and Africa.1

?Was Pterodactylus a dinosaur?

No, Pterodactylus was not a dinosaur. It was a pterosaur, a type of flying reptile that lived at the same time as dinosaurs.1 2

?How did Pterodactylus fly?

Pterodactylus had wings made of skin and muscle that stretched from its very long fourth finger to its hind legs. The wings were supported by fibres inside and ridges on the outside.1

?Why is it called Pterodactylus?

The name Pterodactylus means 'winged finger' because its wing was supported by one very long finger.1

?Who discovered Pterodactylus?

The first Pterodactylus fossil was described by Italian scientist Cosimo Alessandro Collini in 1784. It was later named Pterodactylus by French scientist Georges Cuvier in 1809.1

?Did Pterodactylus have teeth?

Yes, Pterodactylus had teeth. The shape, size and arrangement of its teeth show it was a carnivore that ate small animals.1

?What animals lived with Pterodactylus?

Pterodactylus lived alongside other small pterosaurs like Rhamphorhynchus and Anurognathus, as well as the early bird Archaeopteryx and small dinosaurs like Compsognathus.1

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Myth buster

Myth: Many people think all pterosaurs are called pterodactyls and that they are dinosaurs.

Truth: Pterodactylus is just one genus of pterosaur, and pterosaurs are flying reptiles, not dinosaurs.2

For dino experts

Scientific name: Pterodactylus
Named by: Cuvier 18093
Group: Flying reptiles
Family / clade: Monofenestrata3
Classification: Pterosauria3
Age of the rocks: 201 to 133 million years (Hettangian / Valanginian)3
Rock formations: Solnhofener Plattenkalk, Solnhofen, Tendaguru3
Countries: Germany, Tanzania, France, Portugal, United Kingdom3
Fossil records: 15 in the Paleobiology Database3
Also known as: Diopecephalus, Macrotrachelus, Pterotherium (older names now counted as the same animal)3
Discovery: The first known pterosaur fossil was discovered in the Solnhofen limestone of Germany in 1784. It was later named Pterodactylus by Georges Cuvier in 1809, making it the first pterosaur ever scientifically described.1 2
Still debated: Scientists still debate exactly how many species of Pterodactylus existed, with some suggesting that many fossils belong to just one species, Pterodactylus antiquus.1

Where the facts come from

Pterodactylus (en.wikipedia.org)
Pterosaurs: The truth about these ‘flying dinosaurs’ | Natural History Museum (nhm.ac.uk)
Pterodactylus in The Paleobiology Database (CC BY 4.0): age, places, rock formations, classification.

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