Pterodaustro
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Pterodaustro |
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life restoration of Pterodaustro guinazui
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Extinct (fossil)
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Scientific classification | ||||||||||||||
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Pterodaustro was a Cretaceous pterosaur from South America. Pterodaustro had a wingspan of 132 cm (52 inches) and possessed over 500 tall, narrow teeth, which presumably were used in filter-feeding, much like modern flamingos. It had many bristle-like structures on its jaw that might have been used to strain crustaceans and other small creatures from the water.
Like flamingos, this pterosaur's diet may have resulted in a pink hue. Thus, it is often dubbed the "flamingo pterosaur".
It was discovered in 1970 by José Bonaparte in the Lagarcito Formation, situated in the San Luis Province of Patagonia, Argentina.
[edit] References
- Fantastic Facts About Dinosaurs (ISBN 0-7525-3166-2)
- Giants of the Mesozoic: Pterodaustro