An ornithocheirid pterosaur. © Jason R. Abdale (February 13, 2022).

The “ornithocheirids” were a group of pterosaurs which dominated the skies during the early and middle parts of the Cretaceous Period from about 140 to 90 million years ago. They had teeth only in the front half of their mouths, and their skulls were often decorated with crests on their snouts: sometimes only on the upper jaw, sometimes on the lower, and sometimes on both like what you see here. The ornithocheirids frequently had large wingspans in proportion with body size, implying that they were able to soar for considerable distances. Paleontologists believe that they were primarily fish-eaters.

This picture is intended to be a general representation of an ornithocheirid-type pterosaur, and is not intended to represent any particular species.

Categories: Paleontology, Uncategorized

Tags: Africa, art, Asia, Cretaceous Period, Early Cretaceous, Europe, Mesozoic, Middle Cretaceous, North America, ornithocheirid, Ornithocheirus, paleo-art, paleontology, Prehistoric, pterodactyloid, pterosaur, reptile, South America