Pterosaur

flying reptiles · prehistoric · dinosaur era

First true fliers. Pterosaurs were the earliest backboned animals known to evolve powered flight, soaring through the skies long before birds or bats existed.

Super-stretched finger. Their wings were made of skin and muscle stretched from the ankle all the way to a dramatically lengthened fourth finger.

Ruled the skies. They lived for most of the Mesozoic Era, from the Late Triassic until the end of the Cretaceous, when they went extinct.

Warm-blooded reptiles. Unlike many reptiles today, pterosaurs were warm-blooded, which helped power their active flying lifestyle.