Pterodaustro

pterosaur · Early Cretaceous · filter feeder · South America

Tooth-packed jaw. Pterodaustro had around 500 tiny teeth crammed into its lower jaw. These weren't for biting but for straining food from water, kind of like a baleen whale.

Filter feeding flier. This pterosaur probably flew low over water and scooped up mouthfuls of water and small creatures, then pushed the water back out while keeping the food inside. It lived like modern flamingos do.

South American fossil. Scientists have found Pterodaustro fossils in Argentina, showing it lived in South America during the Early Cretaceous about 105 million years ago.

Unusual pterosaur family. Pterodaustro belonged to a group called ctenochasmatids, pterosaurs with specialized teeth and jaw shapes made for eating in unique ways.

Medium-sized flier. With a wingspan of about 3 to 4 meters, Pterodaustro was a mid-sized pterosaur, smaller than the enormous creatures but bigger than many other flying reptiles.