Dino card No. 1578 of 2,027

Santanadactylus

Say it: san-TAN-uh-DAK-til-us

Name means: “Santana Formation finger”1

Ate: FishFlying reptilesEarly CretaceousNot technically a dinosaur

Santanadactylus was a huge flying reptile that soared over ancient Brazil. It had a long neck and wings that could stretch as wide as a small airplane. It likely glided over the sea, snatching fish with its beak.1 3

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

Lived

120 to 113 million years ago3

Early Cretaceous

Fossils found in

Romualdo Formation, Araripe Plateau, Ceará State, Brazil1 3

Food

Fish3

Wingspan

2.9 to 6 m1 2

estimates vary by species; some scientists think up to 6 m

When did it live?

Triassic

Jurassic

Cretaceous

252 million years ago20114566, the asteroid

How big was it?

How wide were its wings?

wings as wide as 3 bicycles in a row

How big was Santanadactylus compared to YOU?

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

cool stuff

Fun facts

Santanadactylus was named in 1980 by Dutch paleontologist Paul de Buisonjé.1

The name Santanadactylus means 'Santana Formation finger', referring to the rock layer where it was found.1

Four species were once placed in this genus, but scientists now think most belong to other pterosaur groups.1

The type species is Santanadactylus brasilensis, named after Brazil.1

Some scientists think Santanadactylus may have been a glider, using its long wings to soar without flapping much.1

The fossils of Santanadactylus were found in chalk nodules that were bought from collectors.1

Many of the Santanadactylus species are now considered doubtful because the fossils are too incomplete.1

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

?How big was Santanadactylus?

It was a large pterosaur with a wingspan estimated between 2.9 and 5.7 metres (9.5 to 18.7 ft), and some scientists think Santanadactylus brasilensis reached 6 metres (20 ft).1 2

?What did Santanadactylus eat?

It was a piscivore, meaning it ate fish. It likely glided over the sea and snatched fish with its beak.3

?Is Santanadactylus a dinosaur?

No, Santanadactylus is a pterosaur, a flying reptile, not a dinosaur.1 3

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Myth buster

Myth: Santanadactylus was a dinosaur.

Truth: Santanadactylus was a pterosaur, a flying reptile that lived at the same time as dinosaurs but is not a dinosaur.1

For dino experts

Scientific name: Santanadactylus
Named by: Buisonjé 19803
Group: Flying reptiles
Family / clade: Pteranodontidae3
Classification: Pterosauria > Pterodactyloidea > Pteranodontidae3
Age of the rocks: 120 to 113 million years (Aptian)3
Rock formations: Romualdo3
Countries: Brazil3
Fossil records: 2 in the Paleobiology Database3
Discovery: Santanadactylus was named by Dutch paleontologist Paul de Buisonjé in 1980, based on a partial wing bone and shoulder blade found in Brazil.1
Still debated: Scientists are not sure which species really belong to Santanadactylus, because the fossils are so fragmentary.1

Where the facts come from

Santanadactylus (en.wikipedia.org)
Natuurtijdschriften: Santanadactylus brasilensis (natuurtijdschriften.nl)
Santanadactylus in The Paleobiology Database (CC BY 4.0): age, places, rock formations, classification.

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