This week we’re going airborne - and way back to the skies of the Mesozoic, from the Triassic to the Cretaceous! Pterosaurs weren’t actually dinosaurs (a common mix-up), but instead flying reptiles that shared the world with them - and probably ate one or two of the smaller ones!
These were the first vertebrates to evolve powered flight, long before birds started flapping around the place! Some of these guys were the size of pigeons -others were pushing it up closer to a small plane. Pterosaur fossils are often delicate - think fragile wing bones and paper-thin skulls - so finding anything well-preserved is a real treat for fossil hunters!
This week, I’ve sketched an interpretation of one of these high-flying reptiles, so imagine looking up and seeing this guy soaring over in place of the seagulls! There's also a couple of genuine Pterosaur teeth we currently have available. The teeth themselves are often small and needle-like, perfect for snatching fish or skimming insects from the water.
Fun fact: The name Pterosaur means “winged lizard,” and their wings were made of a skin membrane stretched between a massively elongated fourth finger and their body - think of a bat - but they weren’t actually related to bats at all, nature just keeps reusing old ideas on new inventions!
