pterosaur

noun

ptero·saur | \ ˈter-ə-ˌsȯr

Definition of pterosaur

: 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

Recent Examples on the Web

Scientists had long believed that the fossils belonged to another giant pterosaur species known as Quetzalcoatlus. — NBC News, "Millions of years ago, this 'frozen dragon' flying reptile as big as a fighter jet soared over Earth," 12 Sep. 2019 Cryodrakon belonged to the azhdarchids family of pterosaurs, known for having long necks. — Ashley Strickland, CNN, "'Frozen dragon of the north wind' was one of the largest animals to ever fly," 10 Sep. 2019 The two toes flanking the middle support toe had large, knife-like claws, which were likely used for capturing and cutting prey, possibly lizards and pterosaurs. — Jill Langlois, National Geographic, "This desert-dwelling dinosaur balanced on single toes," 2 July 2019 New pterosaur embryos were found in China and Argentina, allowing scientists to use more precise approaches when analyzing them. — Megan Marples And Harmeet Kaur, CNN, "These prehistoric reptiles could fly immediately after birth," 13 June 2019 While there are big bats in the world, some with wingspans of more than 5 feet, there aren’t any as large as the biggest birds or the extinct, giraffe-size pterosaurs. — Riley Black, WSJ, "‘Nature’s Giants’ and ‘Superlative’ Review: Wild, Wilder, Wildest," 21 June 2019 But not everyone thinks the tiny pterosaurs were born air-worthy. — Jason Daley, Smithsonian, "Pterosaurs May Have Flown as Soon as They Hatched," 13 June 2019 In 2017, a new pterosaur found in Mongolia had a 32-foot wingspan, according to National Geographic. — Fox News, "Prehistoric shocker: Baby pterosaurs could fly at birth, study finds," 13 June 2019 And for a baby pterosaur, flying wasn't just a way to get around. — Megan Marples And Harmeet Kaur, CNN, "These prehistoric reptiles could fly immediately after birth," 13 June 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'pterosaur.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.