Pterosaur

By:Alisha

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Table Of Contents "

Introduction

Wings

What Do They Eat?

History

Predators

Quiz!

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Introduction
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Most of the dinosaurs that lived in the Cretaceous period were

land animals, just like the Tyrannosaurus Rex, or the
Parasaurolophus. But have you ever thought of the beautiful
dinosaurs that soared through the sky? One of them were called the
Pterosaur. Their name meant winged lizard. The Pterosaur is a
carnivore, also know as meat eater so they ate fish, crabs or insects
and more meat. Scientists also say that they are probably related to
crocodiles. Pterosaurs are the largest flying dinosaurs that ever lived.
Well now that you know a brief explanation, lets get into the details!

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Wings
You must be thinking, what is the Pterosaurs wings made out of? Well, the
wings are made out of membranes of skin/other tissues. The parts of the
Pterosaurs wings are divided in 3 units. The units are propatagium, the
brachiopatagium, and lastly the uropatagium.

The first one is called the propatagium it is the first membrane. It is the
most forward part of the wing, intact it is between the wrist and shoulder
of the wing. It might have been also in place of the first 3 fingers of the
hand.
Next, there is the brachiopatagium. The brachiopatagium is called as the
arm membrane. Its is attached to the fourth finger hand to hind limbs of
the wing.

Lastly, there is the uropatagium. The uropatagium, only some Pterosaur

groups have this. It is an membrane that is streched between the both
legs. Studies say that it is connected to the legs but does not include the
wings.

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What Do They Eat?

As I mentioned before the Pterosaur is a carnivore. Carnivores are
meat eaters.
As the first few baby months of the Pterosaur, they ate insects.
When they grow as an adult the eat a lot of fish. They would catch the fish
by dipping their long beaks in the water while they were flying over. They
also ate dinosaurs that were already dead.

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History

The first fossil discovery of the Pterosaur was found by a Italian person.
His name was Cosimo Alessandro Collini. This is in 1784. Some scientist
continued to find fossils and bones of the Pterosaur. Johann Georg
Wagler found the Pterodactylus it was used as the wings as flippers. The
first person who found out that the Pterosaurs were flying creatures was
Georges Cuvier. He found this out in 1801 and named it Ptero-dactyle.
However the official name of the wings flippers is Pterodactylus. The
pterosaur lived in the late Triassic period.

Predators

Pterosaur were eaten by theropods. That means the theropods are the
Pterosaur predator. Predators are the enemies manly used in animal
terms meaning the animals prey. Theropods are another type of dinosaur
they lived in the late triassic. The greek meaning of theropods is beast
feat. The theropods are swimming dinosaurs. Scientests found out the
predator of the pterosaur because, a paleontologist Eric Buffetaut said
that he found a broken tooth of a spinosaur embedded in it.

Quiz!

1.In what period did the

Pterosaur live? "
A.Triassic "
B.Cretaceous"
C.Jurassic"
D.Other

2.What is the first

membrane called in the
wings?"
A.Brachiopatagium "
B.Uropatagium"
C.Propatagium"
D.Other

3.Who is the predator of

the Pterosaur? "
A.Theropod"
B.T-Rex"
C.Apatosaurus"
D.Anzu

4.What do they eat in

the first few baby
months "
A.Fish"
B.Dinosaurs"
C.Plants"
D.Insects

5.Who found the first

fossil of the Pterosaur?"
A. Cosimo Alessandro"
B. Eric Buffetaut"
C.Jack Stuperstone "
D.Jane Lifkley

6.What does the

Pterosaur name mean?"
A.smooth-sided teeth"
B."Deceptive reptile""
C.Running lizard"
D.Winged lizard

7.When was the first

fossil found "
A.1999"
B.1784"
C.1765"
D.1649

8.What is the
uropatagium stretched
between?"
A.Neck"
B.Feet"
C.Nose"
D.Legs"

9.What are the

Pterosaur related to?"
A.Crocodiles"
B.Shark"
C.Worm"
D.Bird

1B, 2C, 3A, 4D, 5A, 6D, 7B, 8D, 9A

Credits"

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Pictures "
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pterosaur#/media/File:Pterosaur_wing_BW2.jpg"
http://www.jurassicland.com.tr/forum/pterosaur-t78.html"
http://www.prehistoricstore.com/category.php?class=pterosaurs\"
http://www.glogster.com/theropods/theropod-collage/g-6mn4pemch3tf3b8ndeqmka0 "

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Websites "
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pterosaur