Name:

Tropeognathus (Greek for "keel jaw"); pronounced TROE-peeh-OG-nah-thuss

Historical Period:

Early-Middle Cretaceous (125-100 million years ago)

Size and Weight:

Wingspan of 20-25 feet and about 100 pounds

Diet:

Fish

Distinguishing Characteristics:

Large size; keel on end of beak

Habitat:

Skies of South America

 

About Tropeognathus:

Pterosaurs tend to be represented in the fossil record by frustratingly incomplete and scattered specimens, so it can take a long time for paleontologists to nail down the true identity of any given species.


A case in point is Tropeognathus, which had variously been classified as a separate species of Ornithocheirus and Anhanguera before reverting to its original genus name in 2000. Tropeognathus was distinguished by the keel-like structure on the end of its beak, an adaptation that allowed it to hold tight to wriggling fish, and with a wingspan of 20 to 25 feet it was one of the largest pterosaurs of the early to middle Cretaceous period. This once-obscure flying reptile was made famous by a starring role in the BBC TV series Walking with Dinosaurs, though the producers vastly inflated its specs, depicting it with a wingspan of almost 40 feet!