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Did Rhamphorhynchus Eat Fish ?
The Rhamphorhynchus is one species of pterosaurs, bird-like creatures that ruled the skies from as far back as 220 million years ago. Some remarkably well preserved fossils of the Rhamphorhynchus have been found in Europe, especially in Southern England but more especially from the Solnhofen quarry in Bavaria, Germany. The fine-grain limestone has preserved these specimens down to impressions of the soft tissues like the tail and wings. |
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Since most fossils of pterosaurs were found in marine deposits it would be fair to conclude that their standard diet was seafood -- fish and other animals that lived in water. In fact, one of the fossils found at Solnhofen was found with a fish in its stomach. Further evidence that supports this hypothesis is the shape of the beak of the Rhamphorhynchus which is long and narrow with the bottom hinged segment being streamlined. The Rhamphorynchus had large membranous wings which would have posed a problem has they come in contact with water. Hence it is believed that the rhamphorynchus was a skimmer rather than a diver or a swimmer. The general belief is that while skimming the surface, the rhamphorynchus trailed its streamlined lower beak in the water. When it managed to strike a fish, the needle sharp teeth snapped shut and the bird tossed the fish into its throat pouch. Some of the rare fossils still have this pouch structure well-preserved. What adds credence to this theory is that the action is remarkably similar to that of a number of modern-day birds like the pelican which skim the surface and store their food in a throat pouch. There is reason to believe that the rhamphorhynchus also fed on frogs and insects especially when young and before they mastered the art of fishing over water.
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Dinosaur:
Where Is The Habitat Of The Rhamphorhynchus ?
 The Rhamphorhynchus, which in Greek means ‘beak snout’, dates back to the Jurassic period. This flying reptile belonged to the pterosaur family and lived between 163 and 144 million years ago. The rhamphorynchus was a long tailed pterosaur, which balanced itself in flight with a kite-shaped flap at the end of its tail. Its membranous wings were stiffened with fibers that ran front to back and it is believed that these fibers perhaps also preserved the thin membrane from rents and tears. The wings in some specimens had a span of up to 2 meters. More..
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