Pterodaustro Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Pterodaustro Temporal range: Lower Cretaceous

life restoration of Pterodaustro guinazui
Conservation status
Fossil
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Sauropsida
Order:	Pterosauria
Suborder:	Pterodactyloidea
Family:	Ctenochasmatidae
Genus:	Pterodaustro Bonaparte, 1969

Pterodaustro was a type of pterosaur, which were flying reptiles that lived long ago. It lived during the Lower Cretaceous period, which was about 145 to 100 million years ago. Its fossils have been found only in South America, mainly in Brazil.

This amazing creature was about two meters (around 6.5 feet) wide when it stretched its wings. Pterodaustro had a very special mouth with many long, bristle-like teeth, almost like a comb. Scientists believe it used these teeth to catch tiny creatures like zooplankton and krill from the water.

How Pterodaustro Lived and Ate
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How Pterodaustro Lived and Ate

Pterodaustro likely lived near shallow water, much like modern flamingos. It would wade in the water and use its unique tooth comb to filter out its food. This way of eating is called "filter feeding." After catching its meal, Pterodaustro probably used small, round teeth in its upper jaw to mash the food.

Evidence from Gizzard Stones

Scientists have found something very interesting inside some Pterodaustro fossils: small stones in their stomach area. These are called gizzard stones. Finding these stones was a big deal because it was the first time they were reported in any pterosaur!

These small, angled stones suggest that Pterodaustro mainly ate small, hard-shelled aquatic crustaceans. These tiny creatures were very common in the ancient lakes and rivers where Pterodaustro lived. The stones would have helped grind up the hard shells of its food.

A Pterosaur Embryo

In 2004, scientists made an exciting discovery: a Pterodaustro embryo still inside its egg! The egg was about six centimeters (2.4 inches) long and 22 millimeters (0.9 inches) wide. Its shell was mostly flexible but had a thin, hard outer layer. This discovery gave us clues about how baby pterosaurs developed.

Active at Night?

Scientists have also studied the scleral rings of Pterodaustro. This is a bony ring around the eye that helps support the eyeball. By comparing these rings to those of modern birds and reptiles, researchers think that Pterodaustro might have been nocturnal. This means it might have been active and fed mostly at night, similar to some modern ducks that forage in the dark.