The Mesozoic Park: PteranodonCommon name: Pteranodon (ter-AN-oh-DON)Size: Wingspan: 7.8-10m (25-33ft

The Mesozoic Park: PteranodonCommon name: Pteranodon (ter-AN-oh-DON)Size: Wingspan: 7.8-10m (25-33ft Standing height: 1.8m (6ft)Age: Late Cretaceous Period (85-75 million years ago)Geographic range: North America and EuropeLiked: being huge and eating fishDisliked: being mistaken for a “dinosaur”Taxonomy: Animalia > Chordata > Archosauria > Pterosauria (flying reptiles) > Pteranodontidae > PteranodonPteranodon was a flying reptile. Now, do not mistake this for a dinosaur. Flying reptiles and marine reptiles are not technically considered dinosaurs. Dinosaurs are classified as diapsid (skull classification meaning two holes behind the eye hole) reptiles with an upright stance. By this definition, the semi-upright stance of the Pteranodon makes it just a reptile.Pteranodon was a 1.8m (6ft) tall reptile with a massive 7.8-10m (25-33ft) wingspan. The Pteranodontidae family is considered to be the first vertebrate to take flight. It had hollow bones and likely had a variation of fur called “pycnofibres.” Its entire body was covered by a thin, though skin that stretched from the knees to the finger tips, creating the wing structure. They were a carnivorous species that likely ate fish. The name “Pteranodon” means “winged and toothless.” They are also likely to have been warm-blooded.In Jurassic Park, the Pteranodon was incorrectly portrayed as being a toothed dinosaur. This is incorrect. The beak of the Pteranodon was similar to that of common birds; long, slender, and toothless. The Pteranodon in the movie also lacked the pycnofibres.Jurassic Park introduces three variations of the Pteranodon: one that is bird-like, with tan/brown colouration and a green head. The second is more reptile-like with teeth and a quadruped terrestrial gait and a tan/brown colour with black on the wings and beak. The third variation is not an available clone, but was an actual species.~RosieImages: http://bit.ly/1HvRgcNMovie screenshot belongs to Universal Pictures/Jurassic Park.References: http://bit.ly/1FDgwgThttp://bit.ly/1F33809http://bit.ly/1R5yR8tThis article is a part of our “Mesozoic Park” series that is leading up to the release of Jurassic World. For more information, please see our introductory post at: http://on.fb.me/1ELwHW5 or if you already know about the series but missed a few articles you can find links to the first 10 posts at “Update #1,” here: http://on.fb.me/1ED1tOH -- source link

More pics about