Tupuxuara

Tupuxuara had a huge crest on its head made of bone. The crest was bigger in older animals, so scientists think it was used to show off to mates.1

Its wings were very long compared to its body weight. This helped it fly well and cover long distances.1

Tupuxuara lived about 112 million years ago during the Early Cretaceous period.1

The first fossils of Tupuxuara were a snout and some wing bones. They were found in Brazil.1

There are two main species: Tupuxuara longicristatus, which had a long crest, and Tupuxuara leonardii, which had a more rounded crest.1

A third species, Tupuxuara deliradamus, was named in 2009 but many scientists now think it is not a valid species.1

Tupuxuara was a close relative of Thalassodromeus, another large pterosaur from Brazil.1

By studying its eye bones, scientists think Tupuxuara was active during the day.1