#triassic pterosaurs

[everypterosaur]

Caviramus was another crested Late Triassic pterosaur. Raeticodactylus likely also belongs to this genus.

[virovac]

Been going over early Triassic pterosaurs today

And coming away from how current classification gives the impression the vertebral extensions that stiffened the tails would have to evolve multiple times.

[everypterosaur]

Sorry for the long absence. Here is Austriadraco, a small late Triassic pterosaur from Austria. It has a short coracoid and may have been closely related to Articodactylus, who shares this trait.

This one was tricky as I couldn’t find any pictures off the fossils, just numeric proportions and a skeletal. The pose it meant to be for display by holding the wings up to flash the red and white markings.

[everypterosaur]

Raeticodactylus going in for a landing. This is a bit out of order (Austriadraco should have been next) but I had already sketch it.

Raeticodactylus had a wingspan of about 1.35m (~4.5 ft) and likely ate fish. It is known from a disarticulated skeleton that includes an almost complete skull. Unusually for such an early pterosaur, Raeticodactylus had a crest. It’s possible that it is synonymous with Caviramus, or they are sister taxa.  

[everypterosaur]

Next up is Articodactylus.

This one is another little guy with short wings and big feet. Articodactylus had a wingspan of about 2 ft and was unearthed in Greenland, hence its name.