Tupuxuara facts for kids
Quick facts for kids TupuxuaraTemporal range: Lower Cretaceous 112–108 mya
|
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Skeleton of Tupuxuara leonardii. | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | |
| Class: | |
| Order: | |
| Suborder: | |
| Superfamily: |
Azhdarchoidea
|
| Genus: |
Tupuxuara
Kellner & Campos, 1988
|
Tupuxuara (say: Too-pook-shoo-AH-rah) was a type of flying reptile called a pterosaur. It lived about 112 million years ago, during the Cretaceous Period. Scientists found its fossils in a place called the Santana Formation in Brazil. This area used to be an inland sea, which means it was a large body of saltwater surrounded by land.
Some Tupuxuara were quite small. However, the largest skull found was about 130 centimeters (over 4 feet) long! This suggests that some of these amazing creatures had a wingspan of about 5.5 meters (over 18 feet). Tupuxuara belonged to a group of pterosaurs called Azhdarchids. Another famous pterosaur from this group is Quetzalcoatlus, which was one of the largest flying animals ever.
Images for kids
-
Restored skull of T. longicristatus
-
Restored skull of T. deliradamus
-
Artist's impression of T. leonardii (left) and T. longicristatus (right)
See also
In Spanish: Tupuxuara para niños
