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Prehistoric Animals,
Other than Dinosaurs, Page 1.
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Quetzalcoatlus |
Pteranodon |
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Pterosaurs were flying reptiles,
but not dinosaurs. By definition, all dinosaurs had
an upright stance. Pterosaurs probably had a semi-upright stance.
Quetzalcoatlus
Named after the Aztec feathered god, Quetzalcoatl was a Pterosaur whose
wing-span was just under 36 feet wide (10.96 m). It was the largest flying
animal so far found. It had hollow bones, was lightly built, and had a
small body. Even though it was very big, it probably weighed only about
300 pounds It had toothless jaws and a long, thin beak. The neck was 10
feet long. The legs were over 7 feet in length, as was the long head.
First fossil was found in Big Bend National Park, Texas. Replica is
7" wide.
No. LRP17-QZ. Only $6.95
Pteranodon
The Pterosaur had a 25-33 foot wing-spread and weighed about 35 pounds;
its standing height was about 6 feet. Pteranodons had hollow bones,
were lightly built, had almost no tail, and small bodies; they may have
had fur. They had large brains and good eyesight. Some Pteranodons had
long, light-weight, bony crests on their heads that may have acted as a
rudder or stabilizer when flying, or may have been a sexual
characteristic. They had no teeth. Replica is 4.5" wide.
No. LRP17-PT. Only $2.25 |
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Plesiosaur Info
(meaning
"near lizard") were marine reptiles that had flippers. They were
not dinosaurs. They are divided into two groups: the Pliosauroids,
which had large heads with very strong jaws and short necks, such as the
Kronosaurus shown above, and the Plesiosauroids with long, snake-like
necks, tiny heads, and wide bodies, such as the Elasmosaurus shown at
right. They lived from early Jurassic to the end of the Cretaceous. |
Kronosaurus
Above left. Kronosaurus was a short-necked Plesiosaur, a meat-eating
marine reptile 30 feet long. It had four flippers, a huge head with
strong jaws, and a short, pointed tail. The head was up to 9 feet (2.7 m)
long, about 1/3 of the entire length of the body. It had rounded teeth at
the back of the jaws which could crush shells and cephalopods (squid and
octopi). It lived in the open oceans and breathed air. Some have
been found with small stones in their stomachs; these may have been used
to help grind up their food, or as ballast, to help them dive. They
probably laid eggs in beach sand (like modern-day sea turtles).
Fossils have been found in Australia. They lived in the early
Cretaceous Period. Replica is 13" long.
No. LRP17-KR.
Only $15.95
Elasmosaurus
Above right. Elasmosaurus was a long-necked marine reptile that was
up to 46 feet long. Half of its length was its neck, which had as many as
75-76 vertebrae in it (in comparison, people have 7-8 neck vertebrae).
They had four long, paddle-like flippers, a tiny head, sharp teeth in
strong jaws, and a pointed tail. It was the longest of the Plesiosaurs.
Replica is 10.5" long.
No.LRP17-EM. Only
$9.95 |
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