pterosaur

[ ter-uh-sawr ]

noun

1. any flying reptile of the extinct order Pterosauria, from the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods, having the outside digit of the forelimb greatly elongated and supporting a wing membrane.

pterosaur

/ ˈtɛrəˌsɔː /

noun

1. any extinct flying reptile of the order Pterosauria, of Jurassic and Cretaceous times: included the pterodactyls Compare dinosaur plesiosaur

pterosaur

/ tĕr′ə-sôr′ /

1. Any of various extinct flying reptiles of the Jurassic and Cretaceous Periods with wings consisting of a flap of skin supported by an elongated fourth digit on each forelimb (rather than an elongated second digit as in birds). Some pterosaurs were unique among reptiles in being covered with hair. Pterosaurs had wingspans ranging from less than 0.3 m (1 ft) to close to 15.2 m (50 ft).

Word History and Origins

Origin of pterosaur¹

1860–65; < New Latin Pterosauria; ptero-, -saur

Example Sentences

The pterosaurs are extinct flying reptiles that lived alongside their close relatives, the dinosaurs.

From Science Daily

Excavated from a gravel pit near Abingdon-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, the fossil includes part of the pterosaur's wing bone, which was broken into three pieces but still well-preserved.

From Science Daily

Some fossils are thought to represent previously undescribed species, including two additional pterosaur skulls and two small raptor dinosaurs.

From Science Magazine

In the late Jurassic period, 155 million years ago, this area was a balmy lagoon home to marine crocodiles, sharks and pterosaurs.

From New York Times

The development of flight in insects, birds, mammals and now-extinct pterosaurs is a classic example of this phenomenon.

From Science Daily