Pterodaustro | Facts & Information
# Pterodaustro | Facts & Information
Pterodaustro | Discover Fascinating Facts and Information About Pterodaustro
This prehistoric animal had small hind limbs that ended with paws covered in thick and scaly skin, with long fingers and sharp and curved claws. He probably used to stand with his feet in shallow waters and filter out very small aquatic creatures with his beak.
Pterodaustro
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Facts
Pterodaustro belongs to the category of short – tailed flying dinosaurs-Pterosaurians. The most interesting particular element of this creature was the beak curved upwards, which had a filtering role and which impressed by its uniqueness, by its special construction.
It inhabits areas near the banks of vast waters in the territory where today Argentina is located, and its favorite food was made up of small fish and crustaceans.
It is suspected that Pterodaustro was a warm-blooded animal like all flying dinosaurs – it had a constant body temperature, and in the very cold months it was protected against the cold by plumage. The weight of an adult Pterodaustro was estimated at 2 kg and the wingspan at 1.2 m.
The skeleton of this dinosaur was very light, being made up of hollow bones. The heart and lungs provided blood and oxygen for all parts of the body so that the animal had enough energy to rise in flight.
When raising the wings he used to keep them slightly folded to considerably diminish the air resistance, and when lowering them he moved his hind limbs away to obtain a larger patagium surface.
As in all species of flying dinosaurs and in Pterodaustro the wings were developed from the forelimbs, the patagium extended through the longest finger, the fourth, and the other three were free, covered with thick and scaly skin and hard, curved and sharp claws, for grasping and hooking. The patagium was very resistant and extended to the hind limbs, without covering their ankles and paws.
This species bears little resemblance to today's flamingo bird, which is why some researchers have called it Pterodaustro flamingo. The neck was long and flexible, consisting of many joints and vertebrae, which easily supported the head and rather large beak of this dinosaur.
The species known as Pterodaustro guinazui was named and described by palaeontologist Jose Bonaparte in 1970, based on an analysis of fossil remains discovered in Argentina in the province of San Luis in 1963. They date from the Mesozoic era, from the Lower Cretaceous period, 125-100 million years ago.
Pterodaustro Food
The lower part of the beak was bordered on the inside with about 500 sharp bristles like symmetrical and desi teeth, with the help of which the animal suddenly caught and managed to retain small aquatic animals from the sea water. The upper part of the beak was provided with numerous small and sharp teeth that helped in the subsequent shredding of the prey.
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Pterodaustro | Facts & InformationPterodaustro | Discover Fascinating Facts and Information About Pterodaustro