Today we're going to talk about all of us familiar and ancient creatures: dinosaurs.
Pterosaurs are reptiles that lived on Earth millions of years ago and that evolved developing large wings, such that the larger ones reached a wingspan of 12 meters.
Pterosaurs are known as one of the most incredible animal species that inhabited our planet millions of years ago, and many believe that it is another breed of dinosaur. That's not the case.
And did you know that pterosaurs weren't dinosaurs?
What is a dinosaur?
Pterosaurs are not the only extinct species similar in appearance to reptiles that has been confused with dinosaurs, as is also the case with dimetrodon. Both species are often confused with dinosaurs, literally "monstrous lizards", which died out 68 million years ago.
Dinosaurs appeared about 230 million years ago, which makes them a species that has inhabited the Earth much longer than humans. It is a group of reptiles that lays eggs and has two holes behind the orbital cavities.
They are terrestrial animals with extremities capable to bear incredible weights, developed under the body and not on the sides as in the crocodiles. Furthermore, they had characteristic skeletons with at least three sacral vertebrae and a central hole in the pelvic zone.
Pterosaurs on a rock
What are pterosaurs?
Pterosaurs do not share many of the above characteristics of dinosaurs, so they cannot be considered as such. However, these reptiles lived with the dinosaurs and, just like them, reached enormous dimensions.
The largest pterosaurus reached a wingspan of more than 12 metres. This is surprising considering that nowadays the animals with the largest wingspan are some vultures, which reach only 3 meters.
Curiously, pterosaurs are not related to birds. The large birds, absurdly, can be considered the relatives of the dinosaurs closest to us, as they descend from the few dinosaurs that survived extinction. Pterosaurs, on the other hand, are simple reptiles that developed into wings, a bit like bats.
It is the birds that have many more characteristics in common with the dinosaurs, as well as being directly related to the coelurosaurs.
Hunting pterosaur
Curiosities about pterosaurs
Pterosaurs are very curious animals, and at first, when they were discovered, they were mistaken for huge marine animals with fins. Just like the vowels, this species had empty bones that allowed it to support their bodies in flight.
The wings were similar to those of bats, and it is believed that they not only allowed them to glide, but also to fly actively like eagles. On the other hand, some had beak-like jaws, others had teeth like needles, and some even had ridges.
Another curiosity of the pterosaurs is that they developed a layer similar to hair which, just like their wings, is an example of convergent evolution. These false hairs are known as pycnofibres, proof that pterosaurs were warm-blooded animals.
It is believed that these creatures were equipped with air bags, similar to those of birds. Very often, pterosaurs were devoured by terrestrial dinosaurs, and pterosaur vertebrae with traces of encrusted dinosaur teeth were found. It is believed that these animals could move with agility even on the ground.
As we have seen, these flying reptiles do not belong to the race of their terrestrial companions, the dinosaurs. What is clear is that these giants were fascinating animals that unfortunately we will never have the honor to know.
