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Pterorhynchus

Say it: TER-oh-RINK-us

Name means: “wing snout”1

Ate: FishFlying reptilesMiddle JurassicNot technically a dinosaur

Pterorhynchus was a flying reptile that lived about 164 million years ago, during the Jurassic Period. It had a big crest on its head and a long tail, and it flew over ancient China.1 4

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

Lived

165 to 162 million years ago4

Middle Jurassic

Fossils found in

Inner Mongolia, China1

Food

Fish4

Wingspan

0.85 m1

about

When did it live?

Triassic

Jurassic

Cretaceous

252 million years ago20114566, the asteroid

How big was it?

How wide were its wings?

as long as 1.5 house cats nose to tail

How big was Pterorhynchus compared to YOU?

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

cool stuff

Fun facts

Pterorhynchus had a head crest made of both bone and soft tissue, which was unusual for long-tailed pterosaurs.1 2

Its body was covered in hair-like structures called pycnofibers, which may have helped keep it warm.1

The tail of Pterorhynchus was about as long as its wing, and it had a diamond-shaped flap at the end.1 2

The head crest was so large that scientists think it helped the animal steer while flying, like a rudder.2

The only known fossil is a nearly complete skeleton with preserved skin and other soft parts.1

The crest may have had a camouflage pattern, based on vertical stripes seen at its base.1

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

?How big was Pterorhynchus?

Pterorhynchus had a wingspan of about 85 centimetres (33 inches) and a skull about 11.8 centimetres (4.6 inches) long.1 3

?What did Pterorhynchus eat?

Its robust teeth suggest it ate small animals, possibly including fish and insects, though the exact diet is not known for sure.3

?Did Pterorhynchus have feathers?

Pterorhynchus had hair-like pycnofibers covering its body, not feathers. Some scientists think these might be related to dinosaur feathers, but this is debated.1

?Why did Pterorhynchus have a crest?

The crest likely helped with steering during flight, acting like a rudder, and may have had a camouflage pattern.1

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Myth buster

Myth: Pterorhynchus was a dinosaur.

Truth: Pterorhynchus was a pterosaur, a flying reptile that is not a dinosaur.1

For dino experts

Scientific name: Pterorhynchus
Named by: Czerkas and Ji 20024
Group: Flying reptiles
Family / clade: Rhamphorhynchidae4
Classification: Pterosauria > Rhamphorhynchidae4
Age of the rocks: 165 to 162 million years (Callovian)4
Rock formations: Tiaojishan4
Countries: China4
Fossil records: 1 in the Paleobiology Database4
Discovery: Pterorhynchus was named in 2002 by Stephen Czerkas and Ji Qiang, based on a fossil found in the Daohugou Beds of China.1
Still debated: Scientists debate whether the hair-like fibers on Pterorhynchus are related to feathers or evolved separately.1 2

Where the facts come from

Pterorhynchus (en.wikipedia.org)
papers for web abriged 7-10-05 SCB-2.pmd (dinosaur-museum.org)
Pterorhynchus (prehistoric-wildlife.com)
Pterorhynchus 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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