Pterosaurs Facts: 3 Species Of Ancient Flying Reptile Discovered In The Sahara

Scientists have discovered three new species of the pterosaurs that lived in the Sahara 100 million years ago. The discovery was made by a paleontologist at the University of Portsmouth in England, along with a team of researchers from Morocco and the U.S.

The study, published in the Cretaceous Research journal, revealed a community of the flying reptiles that inhabited Morocco — back when the desert was an ocean.

“The new finds show that African pterosaurs were quite similar to those found on other continents,” a university spokeswoman told the Guardian. “These flying predators soared above a world dominated by predators, including crocodile-like hunters and carnivorous dinosaurs. Interestingly, herbivores such as sauropods and ornithischian dinosaurs are rare.”

David Martill, who headed the research, wrote in the study: “Many of the predators, including the toothed pterosaurs, preyed on a superabundance of fish... We are in a golden age for discovering pterodactyls... This year alone we have discovered three new species and we are only into March.”

The new species were identified from chunks of jaws and teeth found in the middle cretaceous Kem Kem beds of Morocco. It has been revealed that these species had wingspans of three to four meters [10 to 13 feet].

“These aerial fishers snatched up their prey while on the wing, using a murderous-looking set of large spike-like teeth that formed a highly effective tooth grab," the university spokeswoman said. “Large pterosaurs such as these would have been able to forage over vast distances, similar to present-day birds such as condors and albatrosses.”

Here are some facts to know about pterosaurs:

1. They first appeared during the Triassic period, 215 million years ago, and survived for 150 million years before going extinct at the end of the Cretaceous period.

2. The smallest pterosaur measured no bigger than a sparrow, while the largest reached a wingspan of nearly 40 feet, wider than an F-16 fighter. So far, more than 120 species of pterosaurs have been named.

3. They are believed to be close cousins of dinosaurs who evolved on a separate branch of the reptile family tree.

4. Pterosaurs did not leave descendants but only fossils.

5. According to the American Museum of Natural History, pterosaurs generated lift with their wings like any other flying animals. They needed to perform the same kinds of motions as birds and bats, however, they developed their own distinct aerodynamic structure.