| Timestamp | Username | URL | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 05:54, 16 March 2025 | Armoured Jupiter | https://australianhistory.net/Contents/pterosaurs.php | |
| ==Pterosaurs== During the Mesozoic Era, often referred to as the Age of Reptiles, dinosaurs reigned supreme on land, while ichthyosaurs and plesiosaurs dominated the oceans. Amidst these magnificent creatures, a distinct group {{Taxobox | name = Pterosaurs | image = Pterosaur.jpg | caption = Artistic representation of a pterosaur | fossil_range = Late Triassic to end of Cretaceous | regnum = Animalia | phylum = Chordata | classis = Reptilia | clade = Archosauria | ordo = Pterosauria | familia = Various families (e.g., Pterosauridae, Pteranodontidae) | genus = Various genera (e.g., Pteranodon, Quetzalcoatlus) | type_species = Pterodactylus antiquus | subdivision_ranks = Subfamilies | subdivision = Numerous subfamilies and genera }} of reptiles emerged to conquer the skies: the pterosaurs. Their name, which translates to “winged lizards,” reflects their remarkable adaptation to flight. Pterosaurs thrived from the late Triassic period, approximately 190 million years ago, until the end of the Cretaceous period, around 65 million years ago, coinciding with the mass extinction event that wiped out many reptiles.<br><br>Pterosaurs exhibited a stunning diversity in size, ranging from small species comparable to a sparrow to colossal flying reptiles with wingspans reaching approximately 15 meters. Despite their fragile skeletal structure, which made fossil preservation challenging, remains of these creatures have been discovered in Mesozoic rock formations across all continents except for Antarctica and, notably until recently, Australia. | |||
| 05:54, 16 March 2025 | Armoured Jupiter | https://australianhistory.net/Contents/pterosaurs.php | |
| ==Pterosaur Presence in Australia== Scientists long speculated that pterosaurs must have inhabited Australia, considering that their terrestrial counterparts, the dinosaurs, successfully reached and diversified on the continent between 200 and 65 million years ago. Given the ability of pterosaurs to fly, it seemed improbable that they wouldn’t have also arrived in Australia during this time.<br><br>However, it wasn't until 1979 that the first pterosaur fossils were unearthed in Australia. These significant finds occurred at a site east of Boulia in western Queensland, nestled within early Cretaceous marine limestone formations. The extraction process involved carefully dissolving the surrounding limestone using acid, allowing for the preservation of the delicate bones. Unlike most overseas pterosaur fossils, which are often flattened and crushed, the Queensland specimens, while fragile, remain largely intact and undistorted.<br><br>So far, only a handful of bones have been recovered, including parts of a lower jaw, a vertebra, and a scapulocoracoid (a component of the shoulder girdle). Nevertheless, these finds are enough to confirm the existence of pterosaurs in Australia. Preliminary assessments suggest that this unnamed Australian pterosaur was relatively small, likely a fish-eater with a wingspan estimated at around 2 meters. | |||
| 05:54, 16 March 2025 | Armoured Jupiter | https://australianhistory.net/Contents/pterosaurs.php | |
| ==Fossil Characteristics and Future Discoveries== The jaw fragment exhibits widely spaced sockets for small, conical, and slightly flattened teeth, reminiscent of Ornithacherius, a pterosaur from England's early Upper Cretaceous. In contrast, the scapulocoracoid bears a close resemblance to late Cretaceous species of Pteranodon. Given the limited fossil material available, any reconstruction based on these findings remains tentative. Future excavations in the extensive Cretaceous rock formations to the east of Boulia are anticipated to provide further insights into the evolutionary relationships of these Australian pterosaurs with their more widely studied counterparts from other regions.<ref>Prehistoric Animals of Australia, By Susan Quirk, 1983, P.34.</ref> | |||
| 05:54, 16 March 2025 | Armoured Jupiter | https://australianhistory.net/Contents/pterosaurs.php | |
| ==References== {{Reflist}} | |||
| 05:51, 16 March 2025 | Armoured Jupiter | https://australianhistory.net/Contents/pterosaurs.php | |
| ==Pterosaurs== During the Mesozoic Era, often referred to as the Age of Reptiles, dinosaurs reigned supreme on land, while ichthyosaurs and plesiosaurs dominated the oceans. Amidst these magnificent creatures, a distinct group of reptiles emerged to conquer the skies: the pterosaurs. Their name, which translates to “winged lizards,” reflects their remarkable adaptation to flight. Pterosaurs thrived from the late Triassic period, approximately 190 million years ago, until the end of the Cretaceous period, around 65 million years ago, coinciding with the mass extinction event that wiped out many reptiles.<br><br>Pterosaurs exhibited a stunning diversity in size, ranging from small species comparable to a sparrow to colossal flying reptiles with wingspans reaching approximately 15 meters. Despite their fragile skeletal structure, which made fossil preservation challenging, remains of these creatures have been discovered in Mesozoic rock formations across all continents except for Antarctica and, notably until recently, Australia. | |||
| 05:51, 16 March 2025 | Armoured Jupiter | https://australianhistory.net/Contents/pterosaurs.php | |
| ==Pterosaur Presence in Australia== Scientists long speculated that pterosaurs must have inhabited Australia, considering that their terrestrial counterparts, the dinosaurs, successfully reached and diversified on the continent between 200 and 65 million years ago. Given the ability of pterosaurs to fly, it seemed improbable that they wouldn’t have also arrived in Australia during this time.<br><br>However, it wasn't until 1979 that the first pterosaur fossils were unearthed in Australia. These significant finds occurred at a site east of Boulia in western Queensland, nestled within early Cretaceous marine limestone formations. The extraction process involved carefully dissolving the surrounding limestone using acid, allowing for the preservation of the delicate bones. Unlike most overseas pterosaur fossils, which are often flattened and crushed, the Queensland specimens, while fragile, remain largely intact and undistorted.<br><br>So far, only a handful of bones have been recovered, including parts of a lower jaw, a vertebra, and a scapulocoracoid (a component of the shoulder girdle). Nevertheless, these finds are enough to confirm the existence of pterosaurs in Australia. Preliminary assessments suggest that this unnamed Australian pterosaur was relatively small, likely a fish-eater with a wingspan estimated at around 2 meters. | |||
| 05:51, 16 March 2025 | Armoured Jupiter | https://australianhistory.net/Contents/pterosaurs.php | |
| ==Fossil Characteristics and Future Discoveries== The jaw fragment exhibits widely spaced sockets for small, conical, and slightly flattened teeth, reminiscent of Ornithacherius, a pterosaur from England's early Upper Cretaceous. In contrast, the scapulocoracoid bears a close resemblance to late Cretaceous species of Pteranodon. Given the limited fossil material available, any reconstruction based on these findings remains tentative. Future excavations in the extensive Cretaceous rock formations to the east of Boulia are anticipated to provide further insights into the evolutionary relationships of these Australian pterosaurs with their more widely studied counterparts from other regions.<ref>Prehistoric Animals of Australia, By Susan Quirk, 1983, P.34.</ref> | |||
| 05:51, 16 March 2025 | Armoured Jupiter | https://australianhistory.net/Contents/pterosaurs.php | |
| ==References== {{Reflist}} | |||
| 05:47, 16 March 2025 | Armoured Jupiter | https://australianhistory.net/Contents/pterosaurs.php | |
| ==Pterosaurs== During the Mesozoic Era, often referred to as the Age of Reptiles, dinosaurs reigned supreme on land, while ichthyosaurs and plesiosaurs dominated the oceans. Amidst these magnificent creatures, a distinct group of reptiles emerged to conquer the skies: the pterosaurs. Their name, which translates to “winged lizards,” reflects their remarkable adaptation to flight. Pterosaurs thrived from the late Triassic period, approximately 190 million years ago, until the end of the Cretaceous period, around 65 million years ago, coinciding with the mass extinction event that wiped out many reptiles.<br><br>Pterosaurs exhibited a stunning diversity in size, ranging from small species comparable to a sparrow to colossal flying reptiles with wingspans reaching approximately 15 meters. Despite their fragile skeletal structure, which made fossil preservation challenging, remains of these creatures have been discovered in Mesozoic rock formations across all continents except for Antarctica and, notably until recently, Australia. | |||
