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Pterodactyl fossilPterosaurs were flying reptiles. They first took to the air in the Triassic Period, and proceeded to dominate the skies for nearly 100 million years. They had wings formed by flaps of skin stretching from their extremely long fourth fingers to their feet or tails. The wings were stiffened by layers of fibres, called actinofibrils. Their bones were hollow, making the animals very light. Some had tails which helped them steer in the air. Pterosaurs were powerful flyers but clumsy on the ground, preferring to roost in trees or on cliff ledges. Many had powerful, toothed beaks, perfect for seizing fish. There were two main types of pterosaur: the long-tailed rhamphorhynchs and the short-tailed pterodactyls.

Body covering

Dimorphodon, showing its coat of "fur"Some pterosaurs had soft, downy "fur", called pycnofibres, covering their bodies. This helped the reptiles to keep warm—essential if pterosaurs were warm-blooded, like birds and humans. Warm-blooded animals create heat within their bodies and keep their body temperature constant. For those pterosaurs that did not have a fur covering, they may have needed to bask in the sun for a while, in order to build up enough heat energy to fly.

Pterosaurs are often described as flying dinosaurs, but this is incorrect. Dinosaurs were a distinct group of non-flying prehistoric reptiles.


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