Extinct species

Pteranodon

Pteranodon longiceps (Marsh, 1876)

Taxonomy

Range: Kansas and the Western Interior Seaway, North America
Habitat: Coastal marine environments near the Cretaceous Western Interior Seaway.
Lived: Late Cretaceous · about 86–72 million years ago

Size: One of the largest known pterosaurs, with a wingspan exceeding six meters.
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Trait: Had a long, backward-sweeping crest on its head, more pronounced in males than females.
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Trait: Unlike most reptiles, it had no teeth at all, relying on a sharp, toothless beak.
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Diet: Likely fed by skimming or diving for fish, similar to some modern seabirds.
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Trait: Its bones were thin-walled and hollow, an adaptation for flight shared with birds.
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Earth Context: Soared over inland seas that once split entire continents in two.
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Time Context: From the Santonian into the earliest Campanian, western Kansas's Smoky Hill Chalk preserves this flying reptile's remains.
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