Anurognathus facts for kids
Quick facts for kids AnurognathusTemporal range: Upper Jurassic 150mya
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Anurognathidae
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Anurognathus
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| Anurognathus ammoni Döderline, 1923
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Anurognathus was a small flying reptile, part of a group called pterosaurs. It lived about 150 million years ago during the late Jurassic period. Imagine a creature with a short head and tiny, needle-like teeth, perfect for snatching insects right out of the air!
Fossils of Anurognathus were discovered in the famous Solnhofen Limestone in Germany. This is the same special rock formation where the ancient bird Archaeopteryx was found. These amazing creatures had a wingspan of up to 35 centimeters (about 14 inches).
Even though Anurognathus belonged to a group of pterosaurs known for their long tails (the Rhamphorhynchoidea), its own tail was quite short. This short tail was a special adaptation. It helped Anurognathus be super agile and quick when hunting insects in the air. Scientist Döderlein thought its short tail was similar to the pygostyle found in modern birds, which is a short bone at the end of their spine.
Anurognathus was a very light creature. With a wingspan of about 50 centimeters (20 inches) and a body length of 9 centimeters (including its skull), it weighed only about 40 grams. That's less than a small candy bar!
Later, another, smaller fossil of Anurognathus was found. This second fossil was even more complete and showed the bones better. It also had clear marks of its flight membrane, which was like its wing skin. When scientists looked at it under special UV light, they could even see traces of its arm and leg muscles! This new discovery taught them a lot more about how Anurognathus was built. For example, they learned that its skull was very short and wide, even wider than it was long.
Images for kids
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Illustrated hunting a lacewing Kalligramma haeckeli
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Restored skull by Jaime Headden
See also
In Spanish: Anurognathus para niños
