Thalassodromeus facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Thalassodromeus Temporal range: Lower Cretaceous
Conservation status
Fossil
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Sauropsida
Order:	Pterosauria
Suborder:	Pterodactyloidea
Family:	Tupuxuaridae
Genus:	Thalassodromeus
Binomial name
Thalassodromeus sethi Kellner & Campos, 2002

Imagine a flying reptile with a giant crest on its head! That's Thalassodromeus (say: Tha-lass-oh-DRO-mee-us), an amazing pterosaur that lived a long, long time ago. Its name means "sea runner," even though it flew in the sky! Scientists found its fossils in northern Brazil. This ancient flyer was about 60 centimeters long, and its wings could stretch out to 1 metre wide. The most striking thing about it was the huge, thin crest on its skull.

What Was Thalassodromeus?

Thalassodromeus sethi was a type of pterosaur, which were flying reptiles that lived during the time of the dinosaurs. It belonged to a group called Tupuxuaridae. These creatures were not dinosaurs themselves, but they lived alongside them. Thalassodromeus lived during the Lower Cretaceous period, which was about 110 million years ago.

The Amazing Head Crest

The most famous feature of Thalassodromeus was its enormous head crest. This crest was very thin and went from the tip of its snout all the way to the back of its head. It was so big that it was taller than the rest of its skull!

Scientists think this crest might have been used for a few things:

• Showing off: Maybe it helped Thalassodromeus attract a mate, like a peacock's tail.
• Controlling body temperature: The crest had many blood vessels. It might have helped the animal cool down or warm up.
• Steering in flight: Some experts believe it could have helped the pterosaur steer or balance while flying.

The name T. sethi was chosen because its crest looked a bit like the crown of the Egyptian god Seth. However, the crest actually looks more like the crown worn by another Egyptian god, Amun.

How Big Was This Flying Reptile?

Thalassodromeus was not the biggest pterosaur, but it was still quite impressive. It had a wingspan of about 1 meter (around 3.3 feet). This is similar to the wingspan of a large modern-day bird like an albatross. Its body was about 60 centimeters (2 feet) long.

What Did Thalassodromeus Eat?

Scientists have different ideas about what Thalassodromeus ate. Its jaws were long and pointed downwards.

The Skimming Theory

Originally, some scientists thought Thalassodromeus might have eaten like modern-day skimmer birds. Skimmers fly low over the water, dragging their lower beak in the water to catch fish. However, this idea has been questioned. The jaws of Thalassodromeus were very strong and thick, unlike the delicate jaws of skimmers. If it tried to skim, its jaw might have broken.

Other Food Ideas

Because of its strong jaws, other scientists think Thalassodromeus might have eaten different things. It could have been a hunter of small land animals, or perhaps it ate fruits and seeds. Its strong beak might have been good for crushing tough food.

Where Did Thalassodromeus Live?

The only fossils of Thalassodromeus have been found in the Santana Formation in northern Brazil. This area was likely a coastal region with lagoons and marshes during the Cretaceous period. This means Thalassodromeus probably lived near water, even if it didn't skim for fish.

Images for kids

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  Although T. sethi was named after the god Seth for having a crest similar to his crown, Seth did not wear such a crown; the crest was instead similar to the crown of Amun (left, on an obelisk)

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  Reconstruction of the T. sethi skull, showing the possible extent of the undamaged crest and downturned jaws proposed by Headden, but not supported by Pêgas and colleagues

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  Cast of the T. sethi holotype skull, Cleveland Museum of Natural History

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  Life restoration of a T. sethi pair in flight

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  Reconstructed skeleton of the related genus Tupuxuara in the American Museum of Natural History

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  Blood vessels on the crest of the T. sethi holotype cast at the CMNH

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  The crest of T. sethi has been compared to a toucan's bill.

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  It was originally suggested that T. sethi (right) fed like an extant skimmer (left), but this theory has been criticised.

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  Comparison of the jaw of a skimmer (a–b), Tupuxuara (c), and the jaw tip of T. oberlii (or Banguela, d), with cross-sections at right

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  Restoration of T. sethi wading in a marsh

See also

In Spanish: Thalassodromeus para niños