Pterodactylus
Pterodactylus elegans
Pronounced: tear - o - Dack - tie - luss
Diet: Carnivore (Meat-Eater)
Name Means: "Flight Finger"
Length: 3 feet (1 m)
Height: ?
Weight: 5 pounds (2 kilos)
Time: Late Jurassic - 155 MYA
Fossil remains for this Dinosaur have been found in Europe
The very first pterosaur ever discovered was a Pterodactylus, commonly referred to as Pterodactyl. It was found in Germany in 1812. Pterodactylus is not a dinosaur; rather, it is a flying reptile.
Because Pterodactylus was the first ever discovered, people used its name to refer to other flying reptiles. They called them all Pterodactyls, which is not scientifically correct. However, since the name was used for so many years, some scientists still call all the flying reptiles Pterodactyls. |
