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Pterodactyloidea (/ˌtɛrəˈdækt͡ɬɔɪdɪːə/; derived from the Greek words πτερόν (pterón, for usual ptéryx) "wing", and δάκτυλος (dáktylos) "finger") [1] is one of the two traditional suborders of pterosaurs ("wing lizards"), and contains the most derived members of this group of flying reptiles.
Wing structure and colouration often vary with morphs, such as in the aphids, migratory phases of locusts and polymorphic butterflies. At rest, the wings may be held flat, or folded a number of times along specific patterns; most typically, it is the hindwings which are folded, but in a few groups such as the vespid wasps, it is the forewings.
Pterodactylus (from Ancient Greek: πτεροδάκτυλος, romanized: pterodáktylos ' winged finger ' [2]) is a genus of extinct pterosaurs.It is thought to contain only a single species, Pterodactylus antiquus, which was the first pterosaur to be named and identified as a flying reptile and one of the first prehistoric reptiles to ever be discovered.
Pterosaurs are also colloquially referred to as pterodactyls, particularly in fiction and journalism. [16] However, technically, pterodactyl may refer to members of the genus Pterodactylus , and more broadly to members of the suborder Pterodactyloidea of the pterosaurs.
Partly, this is due to the presence of air sacs in their wing membranes, [22] and that pterosaurs launched into flight using their front limbs in a quadrupedal stance similar to that of modern bats, a method faster and less energy taxing than the bipedal launching of modern birds.
The generic name, Propterodactylus, combines the Ancient Greek suffix "προ-" ("pro-"), meaning "before", with the genus name Pterodactylus (derived from Greek words meaning "wing digit"). As such, the name references its position as a "forerunner" to the Pterodactyloidea, as well as its long-standing nickname as the "Painten pro ...
The wingspan of Iberodactylus was estimated in 2019 by extrapolating the proportions of the related genus Hamipterus of which skull-wing ratios are known. The extrapolations indicated a wingspan that measured between 375 and 404 centimeters (12.30 and 13.25 ft). From this it was concluded that the paired wings were about 4 meters (13 ft) wide.
Insect wing venation, showing the names after the Comstock–Needham system. The Comstock and Needham system attributes different names to the veins on an insect's wing. From the anterior (leading) edge of the wing towards the posterior (rear), the major longitudinal veins are named: costa C, meaning rib; subcosta Sc, meaning below the rib