Name:
Ornithocheirus (Greek for "bird hand"); pronounced or-nith-oh-CARE-us
Habitat:
Shores of western Europe and South America
Historical Period:
Middle Cretaceous (100-95 million years ago)
Size and Weight:
Wingspan of 10 feet and 70 pounds
Diet:
Fish
Distinguishing Characteristics:
Large wingspan; long, thin snout with bony protuberance on end
About Ornithocheirus:
Ornithocheirus wasn't the largest pterosaur (avian reptile) ever to take to the skies--that honor belongs to Quetzalcoatlus--but it was the biggest flier of its day, since Quetzalcoatlus didn't appear on the scene until the end of the Cretaceous period.
Aside from its huge wingspan, what set Ornithocheirus apart from other pterosaurs was the bony "keel" on the end of its snout. This may have been used to ram crustaceans or other pterosaurs, or it may have been a sexually selected characteristic (i.e., males with bigger beaks got to mate with more females).
