pterosaur
noun
ptero·saur
ˈter-ə-ˌsȯr 
: any of an order (Pterosauria) of extinct flying reptiles existing from the Late Triassic throughout the Jurassic and most of the Cretaceous and having a featherless wing membrane extending from the side of the body along the arm to the end of the greatly elongated fourth digit
Examples of pterosaur in a Sentence
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In findings published in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology on Feb. 5, researchers discovered the remains of a single pterosaur, named Ceoptera evansae, that's believed to have lived 166 to 168 million years ago during the Middle Jurassic period.
—
Leah Sarnoff, ABC News, 7 Feb. 2024
The new pterosaur brings scientists closer to understanding early pterosaur evolution.
—Elizabeth Gamillo, Discover Magazine, 6 Feb. 2024
Because feathers are seen in pterosaurs and dinosaurs, researchers suspect a common ancestor predating them roamed the Earth.
—Elizabeth Gamillo, Discover Magazine, 25 Jan. 2024
This discovery augments an ever-growing number of dinosaur and pterosaur predecessor fossils out of South America.
—Jeanne Timmons, Ars Technica, 16 Aug. 2023
Actually bigger than that of the first dinosaurs and similar to that of the first pterosaurs.
—Jeanne Timmons, Ars Technica, 16 Aug. 2023
For example, flying pterosaurs are presumed to have been brightly colored but have not been examined in detail.
—Riley Black, Scientific American, 14 Dec. 2023
While the creature sits close to both lineages, a few hallmarks — such as the pelvis — resemble those from dinosaurs and pterosaurs more closely than crocodilians, and the muscle scars on the femur also position the specimen closer to the dino side.
—Joshua Rapp Learn, Discover Magazine, 15 Aug. 2023
The area holds a cache of life-like remains of animals including dinosaurs, pterosaurs, early birds and mammals, turtles, lizards, freshwater fish, frogs, plants and insects that were buried by airborne volcanic debris and ash.
—Margaret Osborne, Smithsonian Magazine, 19 July 2023
Leah Sarnoff, ABC News, 7 Feb. 2024
The new pterosaur brings scientists closer to understanding early pterosaur evolution.
—Elizabeth Gamillo, Discover Magazine, 6 Feb. 2024
Because feathers are seen in pterosaurs and dinosaurs, researchers suspect a common ancestor predating them roamed the Earth.
—Elizabeth Gamillo, Discover Magazine, 25 Jan. 2024
This discovery augments an ever-growing number of dinosaur and pterosaur predecessor fossils out of South America.
—Jeanne Timmons, Ars Technica, 16 Aug. 2023
Actually bigger than that of the first dinosaurs and similar to that of the first pterosaurs.
—Jeanne Timmons, Ars Technica, 16 Aug. 2023
For example, flying pterosaurs are presumed to have been brightly colored but have not been examined in detail.
—Riley Black, Scientific American, 14 Dec. 2023
While the creature sits close to both lineages, a few hallmarks — such as the pelvis — resemble those from dinosaurs and pterosaurs more closely than crocodilians, and the muscle scars on the femur also position the specimen closer to the dino side.
—Joshua Rapp Learn, Discover Magazine, 15 Aug. 2023
The area holds a cache of life-like remains of animals including dinosaurs, pterosaurs, early birds and mammals, turtles, lizards, freshwater fish, frogs, plants and insects that were buried by airborne volcanic debris and ash.
—Margaret Osborne, Smithsonian Magazine, 19 July 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pterosaur.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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“Pterosaur.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pterosaur. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
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pterosaur
noun
ptero·saur
ˈter-ə-ˌsȯ(ə)r
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