Pteranodon was a large pterosaur from the pterodactyl group that lived during the Late Cretaceous Period. It had a furry body with very short tail. Its long, stiff wings were made of skin stretching from an exceptionally long fourth finger to back legs. It had short legs with webbed feet. On top of its large, elongated skull was a prominent, backward-pointing, bony crest. Its long, curved, toothless bill had a throat pouch underneath. The name Pteranodon means “wings and no teeth”.

Fish diet

The discovery of a Pteranodon fossil, which had fish bones in exactly the position where its throat pouch would have been had the soft tissue been preserved, provided evidence for how it fed—similar to a modern pelican. Pteranodon scooped up fish from the water’s surface in its long, narrow jaws and stored them in its throat pouch.

Crest

The function of Pteranodon's crest, sometimes as long as the skull itself, is not known. It could have assisted with stability in flight, or was used for steering or braking. Or it may have acted as a streamlined counterweight to Pteranodon’s heavy head. It may well have been used by males to impress females during courtship—and to intimidate other males. Pteranodon fossils, some with large crests and some with small ones, have been found close together. Females were probably the ones with smaller crests. This suggests that the main function of the crest was for courtship display in males. Different species of Pteranodon had different crest shapes.

Ornithocheirus

Ornithocheirus, a relative of Pteranodon, had a wingspan of up to 6 metres (19 feet). It lived off the coasts of Europe and South America about 125 million years ago, during the Cretaceous Period. Its distinguishing feature was the “keel” at the end of its toothed beak. This may have helped it trap fish or crush crustaceans. Having hollow bones, Ornithocheirus was relatively light for its size.

Facts about Pteranodon

Pronunciation: Tair-ANN-oh-don

Pteranodon sternbergi's wingspan: 9 m (30 ft)

Pteranodon longiceps's wingspan: 7 m (23 ft)

Where and when: Coasts of Europe and North America, 90–70 million years ago (Late Cretaceous)

Diet: Fish

Features: Long, stiff wings for gliding long distances with little effort; excellent eyesight for spotting fish at the surface of the sea; throat pouch for carrying fish; extra bone in the wrist joint, called the pteroid, for supporting the wings and assisting with steering in flight

Relatives: Nyctosaurus, Ornithocheirus (North America); Anhanguera (South America); Istiodactylus (Europe and Asia)