PterosaurCretaceous
Pteranodon
More than a thousand fossil specimens are known, some with very well preserved skulls and skeletons.
Meet PteranodonExplore the prehistoric world
Pterosaurs
Meet the flying reptiles that shared the prehistoric world with dinosaurs. Compare crests, jaws and wing shapes across the pterosaurs in our collection.
21creatures in this group
3 game stages each
3 game stages each
Browse by group
Meet the collection
Showing 1–21 of 21 creatures
Pterosaur
PterosaurCretaceous
Quetzalcoatlus
It had a very long neck and a toothless beak.
Meet Quetzalcoatlus
PterosaurCretaceous
Hatzegopteryx
Its neck was shorter and more robust than that of other giant pterosaurs of the same group.
Meet Hatzegopteryx
PterosaurJurassic
Rhamphorhynchus
It had long teeth pointing forward, but the tip of the beak was toothless.
Meet Rhamphorhynchus
PterosaurJurassic
Dimorphodon
Its name means "two forms of teeth", due to the different types of teeth in its jaws.
Meet Dimorphodon
PterosaurJurassic
Anurognathus
Its tail was unusually short compared to that of other early pterosaurs.
Meet Anurognathus
PterosaurJurassic
Jeholopterus
Its fossil preserves remains of soft tissues, including body covering.
Meet Jeholopterus
PterosaurCretaceous
Dsungaripterus
The front of its beak had no teeth; farther back, rounded teeth helped it crush food.
Meet Dsungaripterus
PterosaurCretaceous
Tapejara
Its skeletons have been found in Brazil, in deposits associated with the Santana Formation.
Meet Tapejara
PterosaurCretaceous
Tupandactylus
Its huge crest combined bony supports with a large area of soft tissue.
Meet Tupandactylus
PterosaurCretaceous
Nyctosaurus
The validity of some of the species assigned to the genus remains disputed.
Meet Nyctosaurus
PterosaurCretaceous
Pterodaustro
Its many long, thin teeth worked like a filter to catch tiny aquatic organisms.
Meet Pterodaustro
PterosaurJurassic
Pterodactylus
An extremely long fourth finger supported most of the skin membrane of its wing.
Meet Pterodactylus
PterosaurCretaceous
Anhanguera
Its anatomy contributed to the debate about how pterosaurs walked on the ground.
Meet Anhanguera
PterosaurJurassic
Ctenochasma
The genus includes species such as Ctenochasma roemeri, Ctenochasma taqueti and Ctenochasma elegans.
Meet Ctenochasma
PterosaurCretaceous
Caiuajara
Caiuajara was a crested pterosaur with a conspicuous head ornament.
Meet Caiuajara
PterosaurEarly Cretaceous
Hamipterus
Hamipterus was a pterosaur with a long toothed snout and a cranial crest.
Meet Hamipterus
PterosaurJurassic
Darwinopterus
Darwinopterus combined a comparatively advanced head and neck with a more primitive long-tailed body plan.
Meet Darwinopterus
PterosaurEarly Cretaceous
Tropeognathus
Tropeognathus was a large toothed pterosaur with prominent crests on the jaws.
Meet Tropeognathus
PterosaurMiddle Jurassic
Dearc
Dearc was a long-tailed pterosaur with a substantial toothed head.
Meet Dearc
PterosaurJurassic
Cascocauda
Cascocauda was a small anurognathid pterosaur with a broad, short head and a distinctive covering of body structures.
Meet CascocaudaA closer look at pterosaurs
Pterosaurs were reptiles capable of powered flight. Their wings were membranes supported by a greatly lengthened finger, unlike the feathered wings of birds.
The group included many body sizes and feeding adaptations. Open a profile to explore its own fossil evidence rather than assuming every pterosaur hunted or flew in the same way.
Are pterosaurs flying dinosaurs?
No. Pterosaurs and dinosaurs were related archosaurs, but they were separate groups. Pteranodon and Pterodactylus are pterosaurs, not birds or dinosaurs.
Further reading: Natural History Museum: The truth about pterosaurs
AI-generated, stylized game illustrations. These designs and growth stages are imaginative, not scientific reconstructions. Open a profile for its fossil information and sources.