Anurognathus
Name meaning:
Jaws without a tail
Period of life:
151-149 mya
Period:
Habitat:
Coasts
Taxonomy:
Pterosaurs
Countries:
«tailless jaws». Anurognathus did have a tail, but it was much shorter than that of the contemporary Rhamphorhynchus. This is why it was given such a name.
Anurognathus was one of the smallest pterosaurs, living at the end of the Jurassic Period in what is now Germany. This flying reptile weighed only about 40 grams, and its wingspan did not exceed 35 centimetres — smaller than that of a modern sparrow.
Its appearance was unusual: a short, broad head with enormous eyes and small sharp teeth, as well as a short tail which likely helped it manoeuvre in flight. Thanks to this, Anurognathus could weave deftly between trees, hunting insects.
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