Pteranodon

Pteranodon longiceps

While technically a pterosaur rather than a dinosaur, Pteranodon is often grouped with dinosaurs in popular culture. It had a wingspan of up to 7 meters and a distinctive cranial crest. It soared over the Western Interior Seaway.

Physical Description

Measurement	Value	Human Scale
体长	1.8 m	about the size of a human adult
Height	0.6 m	—
体重	25 kg	lighter than a human adult

Diet & Feeding

Piscivore

Pteranodon was a fish-eating dinosaur. Piscivores typically lived near water sources and had specialized adaptations such as elongated snouts and conical teeth for catching fish.

Time Period

Cretaceous Late Mesozoic Era

Pteranodon lived during the Cretaceous Late period of the Mesozoic Era, approximately 100.5 to 66.0 million years ago.

The final age of dinosaurs, featuring iconic species like Tyrannosaurus rex, Triceratops, and Velociraptor. Dinosaurs reached their peak diversity before the catastrophic asteroid impact at the Chicxulub crater ended the Mesozoic Era.

Discovery & Naming

命名者	Othniel Charles Marsh
发现年份	1876
发现地点	Smoky Hill Chalk, Kansas, USA

分类

Dinosauria → Saurischia → Theropoda → Pteranodon

Beast feet

Bipedal, mostly carnivorous dinosaurs that include the largest land predators ever to live. Theropods gave rise to modern birds. Ranges from tiny Compsognathus to massive Tyrannosaurus rex.

Size Comparison

At 1.8 meters long and 25.0 kg, Pteranodon was about the size of a human adult and lighter than a human adult.

Other dinosaurs from the same period:

Abelisaurus comahuensis Adasaurus mongoliensis Adynomosaurus arcanus Byronosaurus Byronosaurus jaffei Caenagnathasia

Quick Facts

分类	Theropoda
地质时代	Cretaceous Late
食性	Piscivore
体型	1.8m long, 0.6m tall, 25.0kg

相关恐龙

Carcharodontosaurus Cretaceous Early

Anchiornis Jurassic Late

Coelophysis Triassic Late

Compsognathus Jurassic Late

Dilophosaurus Jurassic Early

Giganotosaurus Cretaceous Late

Carnotaurus Cretaceous Late

Therizinosaurus Cretaceous Late

常见问题

When did Pteranodon live?

Pteranodon lived during the Cretaceous Late period (Mesozoic Era, 100.5–66.0 million years ago).

What did Pteranodon eat?

Pteranodon was a piscivore.

How big was Pteranodon?

Pteranodon was approximately 1.8 meters long, 0.6 meters tall, weighed around 25.0 kg.

When was Pteranodon discovered?

Pteranodon was first described in 1876 by Othniel Charles Marsh, with fossils found in Smoky Hill Chalk, Kansas, USA.

What type of dinosaur was Pteranodon?

Pteranodon belonged to the Theropoda group, which is part of the larger Saurischia clade.

Where were Pteranodon fossils found?

Fossils of Pteranodon were found in Smoky Hill Chalk, Kansas, USA.

What is the scientific name of Pteranodon?

The scientific name of Pteranodon is Pteranodon longiceps.

Compare with Similar Dinosaurs

Pteranodon vs Carcharodontosaurus Pteranodon vs Anchiornis Pteranodon vs Coelophysis

Explore More

Cretaceous Late

All dinosaurs from this period

All dinosaurs in this clade

Browse all piscivores

Explore the Natural World

Discover more across the Nature FYI family

SpeciesFYI Species & Taxonomy BirdFYI 11,000+ Bird Species FishFYI Fish & Marine Life PlantFYI 379,000+ Plants