恐龍卡第 1934 張，共 2 027 張

Xericeps

名字的意思： “dry catcher, from Greek 'xeros' meaning dry and Latin 'capere' meaning to catch, referring to the Sahara Desert and its forceps-like beak”1

吃：魚飛行爬蟲類白堊紀晚期嚴格來說不是恐龍

Xericeps was a flying reptile that lived in what is now the Sahara Desert in Morocco. It had a long, toothless beak that curved upward like a pair of tweezers. It probably used its beak to snatch fish from rivers and lakes.1 3

趣味小知識：翼龍在恐龍頭上飛來飛去，但牠們是恐龍的親戚，不是恐龍喔。

生存年代

100 到 94 百萬年前3

白堊紀晚期

化石發現地

Aferdou N'Chaft, near Hassi el Begaa, Errachidia Province, southeastern Morocco3 1

翼展

3 到 8 m (9.8 到 26 ft)1

最高速度

時速約 83 公里（52 英里）

飛行, 估計值

牠生活在什麼時候？

三疊紀

侏羅紀

白堊紀

2 億 5200 萬年前20114566，小行星撞地球

牠有多大？

牠的翅膀有多寬？

翅膀跟 4 台腳踏車排成一排一樣寬能在 4.6 秒內飛越一整座足球場

Xericeps 跟「你」比起來有多大？

只是在你的瀏覽器裡算算數學。什麼都不會被儲存或傳送出去。

牠有多快？

走路的人 時速約 5 公里 (3 mph)

騎腳踏車的小朋友 時速約 12 公里 (7 mph)

一匹飛奔的馬 時速約 65 公里 (40 mph)

Xericeps 時速約 83 公里 (52 mph)

一隻獵豹 時速約 100 公里 (62 mph)

酷東西

趣味知識

Xericeps is known only from a piece of its lower jaw. No other bones have been found yet.1

Its beak was curved upward, which is why its species name 'curvirostris' means 'curved snout'.1

Xericeps lived about 100 to 94 million years ago, during the mid-Cretaceous period.3 1

It was a toothless pterosaur, like other azhdarchoids. Its jaws had ridges and grooves on top.1 2

Xericeps is one of only three named pterosaurs from the Kem Kem beds of Morocco. This area was once a river system full of dinosaurs and flying reptiles.2

Scientists think Xericeps was a medium-sized pterosaur, with a wingspan likely between 3 and 8 metres (10 to 26 feet).1

Xericeps 的 AI 繪圖 — 這是電腦根據科學家目前的知識，用 AI 畫出 Xericeps 可能的樣子。這只是猜測：真正的動物可能長得不一樣，也沒有人知道牠真正的顏色。

你們都在問

關於 Xericeps 最常被問的問題

?Is Xericeps a dinosaur?

No, Xericeps is a pterosaur, which is a flying reptile that lived alongside dinosaurs but is not a dinosaur itself.1

?How big was Xericeps?

It was medium sized for a pterosaur, with a wingspan estimated between 3 and 8 metres (10 to 26 feet). Scientists think it was likely closer to the lower end of that range.1 2

?What did Xericeps eat?

Xericeps probably used its long, curved, toothless beak to snatch fish from rivers and lakes.1

?Why did Xericeps have a curved beak?

Scientists think the upward curve helped it catch food, like fish, from water. The species name 'curvirostris' even means 'curved snout'.1

給恐龍專家

學名: Xericeps
命名者: Martill et al. 20183
類群: 飛行爬蟲類
科 / 演化支: Neoazhdarchia3
分類: Pterosauria > Pterodactyloidea3
岩石的年代: 100 到 94 百萬年 (Cenomanian)3
國家: 摩洛哥3
化石紀錄: The Paleobiology Database 收錄 1 筆3
發現: The only known fossil of Xericeps was found by local mine workers at Aferdou N'Chaft in Morocco. British paleontologist David M. Martill bought it at the mine site in January 2017. He and his colleagues named it in 2018.1 2
仍有爭議: Scientists are not sure exactly which group of pterosaurs Xericeps belongs to. Some studies place it with the alanqids, others with the chaoyangopterids.1