PTEROSAURS IN THE FOSSIL RECORD

Dsungaripterus weii

Pterosaurs were flying reptiles—not birds, nor dinosaurs—that ruled the skies from the Late Triassic until the end of the Cretaceous, roughly 228–66 million years ago. 

They ranged from tiny, bird-sized fliers to giants such as Quetzalcoatlus northropi, whose wings stretched about 10–11 metres—nearly the span of a small aeroplane.

Their delicate, hollow bones were excellent for flight but dreadful for fossilization, so complete skeletons are rare. 

Pterosaur remains have nevertheless been discovered worldwide, with exceptional fossils coming from China, Germany, Brazil, Britain and North America. Fine-grained lake and lagoon sediments sometimes preserved not only bones, but wing membranes, crests and traces of soft tissue.

At the Shanghai Natural History Museum in China, visitors can see Dsungaripterus weii, a wonderfully peculiar Early Cretaceous pterosaur discovered in Xinjiang’s Junggar Basin. It had a wingspan of roughly three metres, a distinctive crest and powerful jaws with rounded teeth suited to crushing hard-shelled prey.

Pterosaurs may have been built lightly, but their fossil record reveals more than 160 million years of aerial experimentation—from little insect hunters to flying reptiles large enough to cast a truly alarming shadow.

Lead Image: Asset ID: 1082017409