Explore the fascinating world of pterosaurs in this 45-minute lecture from the Royal Tyrrell Museum Speaker Series. Delve into the evolution, anatomy, and lifestyle of these ancient flying reptiles that soared above the dinosaurs. Learn about early pterosaur discoveries, their relationships with other archosaurs, and the two basic forms of pterosaurs. Examine the unique features of pterosaur wings, their methods of becoming airborne, and the famous fossil sites where their remains have been found. Compare the body masses of the largest known pterosaurs with extant birds and investigate the temporal span equivalence between pterosaurs and birds. Discover the multiple, independent losses of flight among birds over 150 million years and gain insights into the strange case of Quetzalcoatlus northropi.
Overview
Syllabus
Over the heads of the dinosaurs. pterosaurs!
Discovering pterosaurs
Early Pterosaur Restorations
Early Dimorphodon restoration
Reptile Radiation During the Triassic
The Late Triassic World 220 million years ago
Earliest known pterosaur locations - Late Triassic, fine-grained, marine sediments
Pterosaur relationships with other archosaurs
Two basic forms of pterosaurs
Pterosaur Lifestyles
Pterosaur wing
Rhamphorhynchus meunsteri - "Dark Wing"
Pterosaurian smart wing
How did pterosaurs get airborne?
How did pterosaurs get airbome?
Darwinopterus embryos in eggs
Famous Pterosaur Fossil Sites - Solnhofen, Bavaria
Famous Pterosaur Fossil Sites - Santana Formation, Brazil
Estimating plerosaur body masses
The strange case of Quetzalcoatlus northropi
Body Mass Comparisons Between the Largest Extant Birds
Body Mass Comparisons Between Largest known Pterosaurs
Temporal Span Equivalence of Pterosaurs and Birds
Multiple, independent losses of fight among birds over 150 Ma
Taught by
Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology
