Thalassodromeus
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| Thalassodromeus Fossil range: Early Cretaceous |
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 Life restoration of Thalassodromeus sethi.
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T. sethi Kellner & Campos, 2002 (type) |
Thalassodromeus ("sea runner") was a large pterosaur found in northeastern Brazil. It lived roughly from 122-109 million years ago. It shared the skies with its larger cousin- Tapejara. It is particularly notable for its immense head crest, which accounts for seventy five percent of the surface of its 1.4 metre long skull. It had a wing span of roughly 4.5 metres.[1] The function of the crest is unknown, but it may have been used for sexual display, species recognition, or thermoregulation.
Thalassodromeus is believed to have fed in a similar way to modern skimmers; trailing its lower jaw in the water while it flew.
[edit] References
- ^ Kellner, A. W. A., and Campos, D. A. (2002). "The function of the cranial crest and jaws of a unique pterosaur from the early Cretaceous of Brazil." Science, 297 (5580): 389-392. (19 July 2002).
[edit] External links
- National Geographic story on Thalassodromeus [1]
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