Pterodactyl

Pterodactyl is a common name often used to refer to pterosaurs, a group of flying reptiles that lived during the Mesozoic Era. While the term "pterodactyl" specifically refers to a genus within this group, it is frequently used colloquially to encompass all pterosaurs. These ancient creatures were not dinosaurs, though they lived alongside them and were reptiles. Pterosaurs were the first vertebrates known to achieve powered flight. Their wings were formed by a membrane of skin and muscle stretching from a greatly elongated fourth finger to the side of their body and hind legs.

The earliest pterosaurs appeared in the late Triassic period, around 220 million years ago, and they diversified throughout the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods. They ranged in size from very small, sparrow-sized creatures to enormous animals with wingspans of over 30 feet, such as Quetzalcoatlus. Their diets varied, with some likely feeding on insects, fish, or small animals, while others may have been frugivores or even scavengers. Fossil evidence suggests that pterosaurs had a diverse range of adaptations, including hollow bones for lightness and possibly feathered or fur-like coverings for insulation. The extinction of the pterosaurs occurred at the end of the Cretaceous period, around 66 million years ago, along with the non-avian dinosaurs.