Tropeognathus
Tropeognathus was a giant flying reptile that soared over ancient seas. It had a big crest on its snout and a mouth full of teeth for catching fish.41
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Fun facts
Tropeognathus is one of the largest pterosaurs ever found in the southern continents (Gondwana).1
A huge specimen (MN 6594-V) had a wingspan of about 8.26 to 8.7 metres, as wide as a small airplane.1
It lived during the Early Cretaceous, about 119 to 113 million years ago.2
Tropeognathus had a low, blunt crest on the top of its skull, unlike some other pterosaurs with tall crests.1
Its name means 'keel jaw', because of the ridge on its lower jaw that looks like a boat's keel.4
The first fossil of Tropeognathus was a skull and lower jaw found in Brazil.4
Most asked questions about Tropeognathus
?How big was Tropeognathus?
Tropeognathus had a wingspan of about 8.26 to 8.7 metres (27.1 to 28.5 feet), about as wide as a small airplane.31
?Was Tropeognathus a dinosaur?
No, Tropeognathus was a pterosaur, a flying reptile, not a dinosaur. Pterosaurs are a separate group of reptiles that lived alongside dinosaurs.3
?What did Tropeognathus eat?
Tropeognathus ate fish, which it caught with its long jaws full of teeth while flying over ancient seas.3
?Could Tropeognathus fly?
Yes, Tropeognathus could fly. It was a flying reptile with a wingspan of about 8.5 metres (28 feet), making it one of the largest flying animals of its time.3
?Why did Tropeognathus have a crest?
Tropeognathus had a crest on its snout and a smaller one on its lower jaw, likely used for display, especially in males, and possibly for species recognition.3
?When did Tropeognathus live?
Tropeognathus lived during the Early Cretaceous, about 119 to 113 million years ago.3
?Where was Tropeognathus found?
Fossils of Tropeognathus were found in the Romualdo Formation in northeastern Brazil, in South America.3
?Was Tropeognathus bigger than a T. rex?
No, Tropeognathus was a flying reptile, not a dinosaur, and it was much smaller than a T. rex. T. rex was about 12 metres long, while Tropeognathus had a wingspan of about 8.5 metres (28 feet).3
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For dino experts
- Scientific name
- Tropeognathus
- Named by
- Wellnhofer 19874
- Group
- Flying reptiles
- Family / clade
- Anhangueridae4
- Classification
- Pterosauria > Pterodactyloidea4
- Age of the rocks
- 120 to 113 million years (Aptian)4
- Rock formations
- Romualdo4
- Countries
- Brazil4
- Fossil records
- 2 in the Paleobiology Database4
- Discovery
- Tropeognathus was named by Peter Wellnhofer in 1987 based on a skull and lower jaw from the Romualdo Formation in Brazil.4
- Still debated
- Scientists are not sure if some very large pterosaur bones from the same area belong to Tropeognathus or to a different, even bigger species.1
Where the facts come from
- scielo.br (scielo.br)
- PBDB Taxon (paleobiodb.org)
- Tropeognathus (en.wikipedia.org)
- Tropeognathus in The Paleobiology Database (CC BY 4.0): age, places, rock formations, classification.
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Dorygnathus
Rhamphorhynchus
Anhanguera
Pterodactylus
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Iguanodon
Archaeopteryx
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Microraptor
Deinonychus