Pteranodons were flying reptiles (pterosaurs) that were about 6 feet (1.8 m) long, had a 25-33 foot (7.8-10 m) wingspread, and weighed about 35 pounds; its standing height was about 6 feet (1.8 m). This wing-span is longer than any known bird. Pteranodons had hollow bones, were lightly built, had almost no tail, and small bodies; they may have had fur. They had large brains and good eyesight. Some pteranodons had long, light-weight, bony crests on their heads that may have acted as a rudder or stabilizer when flying, or may have been a sexual characteristic. They had no teeth.
Pteranodon wings were covered by a leathery membrane. This thin but tough membrane stretched between its body, the top of its legs and its elongated fourth fingers, forming the structure of the wing. Claws protruded from the other fingers.
Pteranodons were reptiles, but not dinosaurs. By definition, all dinosaurs were diapsid reptiles with an upright stance. Pterosaurs probably had a semi-upright stance. There is a small minority of paleontologists who think that the pterosaurs' stance could have been upright and that pterosaurs should therefore be included in the clade of dinosaurs (being derived theropods). Either way, dinosaurs and pterosaurs are certainly closely related.
Class Diapsids - these include all the reptiles (except turtles) and birds. They are distinguished by having two holes in the rear upper part of their skulls and two holes behind the eyes.
Sublass Archosauria - this group includes dinosaurs, crocodilians, pterosaurs, birds, etc.
Suborder Pterodactyloidea ("wing finger") - later pterosaurs that appeared late in the Jurassic and died in the K-T extinction, 65 million years ago, that had short tails. Examples include Pterodactylus, Pteranodon, and Quetzalcoatlus.
Species P. longiceps (Marsh, 1876, the type species), P. eatoni, P. ingens, P. marshi, P. occidentalis, P. oregonensis, P. sternbergi, P. walkeri. The different Pteranodon species all had large head crests, but they were slightly different. For example, the long head crest of P. longiceps and P. ingens stuck out behind the head, but the head crest of P. sternbergi was more upright.
Pteranodons lived during the late Cretaceous period about 85-75 million years ago.
Although they had no teeth, Pteranodons were carnivores. They ate fish (which they caught at the surface of the oceans), mollusks, crabs, insects, and scavenged dead animals on land. They may have hunted like modern-day pelicans, scooping fish out of the water and swallowing them whole.
Pteranodons could flap their wings and fly with power. They flew long distances using large, light-weight wings.
Many Pteranodon fossils have been found in the USA (in Kansas) and in England. Pteranodon was named by Othneil C. Marsh in 1876. The University of Kansas, in Lawrence, Kansas, USA has over 480 Pteranodon specimens. The first Pteranodon skull was found on May 2, 1876, in Smoky Hill River, Wallace County, Kansas, USA by S. W. Williston, a fossil collector working for Othniel Marsh.
Pteranodon printout - information plus a Pteranodon to color.
Pteranodon Brief Fact Sheet - or a printable version.
Pterosaurs, including pteranodon, from the UCMP, Berkeley.
Pterodactyl information sheet from Enchanted Learning.
Pterosaur information sheet from Enchanted Learning.
Quetzalcoatlus information sheet from Enchanted Learning.