FLYING FINGERS

The image below is a photo of the exhibit panel. Following it is a transcript of the panel.

Photo of the panel from the exhibit.

Pterosaurs were the first vertebrates to actively fly. Each wing was braced by a long fourth finger.

Pterosaurs had thin, leathery wings and paper-thin bones. These dinosaur cousins ranged form the sparrow-sized to the stupendous. Quezalcoatlus , the largest animal that ever flew, had a 45-foot wingspan!

In the Age of Dinosaurs, pterosaurs filled the roles that birds occupy today. Pterosaur lifestyles were as diverse as those of modern vultures, pelicans, and flamingos.

pterosaurs ( TARE -o-sorz): extinct flying reptiles

New features:

  • wings: thin bones and strong, sinewy fibers reinforce thin membranes, provide lift for flying
  • large skull housed brains with sizeable areas devoted to vision and muscle coordination

When? 240 to 65 million years ago

PICTURE CAPTIONS:

  • Quezalcoatlus (ket-zal- KWAT -lus)
  • Human Hand
    Count your fingers, starting with your thumb. The fourth (or ring) finger is the one that, in pterosaurs, grew long enough to support a wing!
  • Diagram showing common ancestry and evolution of dinosaurs, Rhamphorhynchus , and Quetzalcoatlus from organisms with modified ankle joint. Evolution of large skull and wing supported by long fourth finger is where Rhamphorhynchus and Quetzalcoatlus branch off.