Pteranodon
carnivoreLate Cretaceous (86-84 Ma)
PALAEONTOLOGICAL RECORD
Pteranodon (; from Ancient Greek pteron 'wing', an- 'without', and odon 'tooth' is a genus of pterosaur that included some of the largest known flying reptiles, with P. longiceps having a wingspan of over 6 m. They lived during the late Cretaceous geological period of North America in present-day Kansas, Nebraska, Wyoming, South Dakota and Alabama. More fossil specimens of Pteranodon have been found than any other pterosaur, with about 1,200 specimens known to science, many of them well preserved with nearly complete skulls and articulated skeletons. It was an important part of the animal community in the Western Interior Seaway.
DISCOVERY
First described by O.C. Marsh in 1876.
DIETARY PROFILE
Coastal fish-eater (piscivore).
NOTABLE PALAEONTOLOGY FACTS
- Pteranodon means 'winged and toothless', making the Jurassic clones structurally paradoxical.
- Males possessed massive cranial crests primarily used for sexual display rather than flight aerodynamics.
HOLLYWOOD INACCURACIES
- Pteranodons completely lacked teeth (the name means 'wing without tooth'). The JW versions have teeth.
- Their feet were not capable of grasping prey like an eagle.
SCIENTIFIC DEPICTION
PHYSICAL DIMENSIONS
ESTIMATED LENGTH
Fossil Record7 meters
InGen Clone8 meters
ESTIMATED WEIGHT
Fossil Record50 kg
InGen Clone80 kg
Accuracy Rating
EXAGGERATED