Pteranodon
Pteranodon (; from Greek πτερόν ( pteron, "wing") and ἀνόδων (anodon, "toothless") is a genus of pterosaur that included some of the largest known flying reptiles, with wingspans over 8 meters (26 feet). They lived during the late Cretaceous geological period of North America in present-day Kansas, Alabama, Nebraska, Wyoming, and South Dakota. More fossil specimens of "Pteranodon" have been found than any other pterosaur, with about 1,200 specimens known to science, many of them well preserved with nearly complete skulls and articulated skeletons. It was an important part of the animal community in the Western Interior Seaway.
Pteranodon
A number of additional species of "Pteranodon" have been named since the 1870s, although most now are considered to be junior synonyms of two or three valid species. The best-supported is the type species, "P. longiceps", based on the well-preserved specimen including the first-known skull found by S. W. Williston. This individual had a wingspan of . Other valid species include the possibly larger "P. sternbergi", with a wingspan originally estimated at . "P. occidentalis", "P. velox", "P. umbrosus", "P. harpyia", and "P. comptus" are considered to be "nomina dubia" by Bennett (1994) and others who question their validity. All probably are synonymous with the more well-known species.