Pterosaur Wing Bones Diagram
Pterosaurs, better known as Pterodactyls or ‘wing fingers,’ were flying reptiles that lived between 228 and 65 million years ago. At least 60 varieties of pterosaurs have so far been found. |
They range from some as tiny as sparrows to others with a wingspan as large as a medium-sized aircraft, or around 40 feet. Pterosaurs had wings similar to bats comprising of thin membranes of skin. The wings extended from the sides of the body.
Pterosaurs and birds are both vertebrates descended distantly from reptilian ancestors. But pterosaurs were not birds. Scientists have concluded, after extensive study, that pterosaurs flew by actively flapping their wings. The wings ran alongside the body and tapered to a point where they attached themselves to an extraordinarily long fourth finger. In essence, the wing was a membrane supported by a bony skeletal frame of the hand, forearm and arm. The wings were never intended for gliding.
Pterosaurs had a mobile rib cage and a system of air sacs in the bones both of which aided the air in moving around. Scientists believe the ingenious arrangement of air sacs were also intended to reduce the weight of the bones without compromising on strength. Pterosaurs had long, fully-toothed jaws, and long tails. But in a process of evolution, the tail shrunk to a stump and the jaw lost its teeth resembling a beak.
The pterosaurs had more developed brain when compared with dinosaurs of a similar size. Fossils give no indication of feathers. It is believed that a complex air circulatory system gave the flying reptile the huge amount of oxygen necessary for flight.
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