Tupuxuara leonardii

The most dazzling feature on many pterosaurs was a spectacular head crest. Tupuxuara leonardii had one of the most impressive crests ever found. Its huge, fan-shaped crest swept back from its snout. Fossils of this large pterosaur formed in a lagoon in what is now Brazil. Tupuxuara lived near water and probably used its long, toothless beak to grab fish.

Pronunciation: too-pu-SHWA-ra
lay-o-NAR-dee-eye
Lived: around 110 million years ago
Fossil Found: in northeastern Brazil
Wingspan: 15 feet (4.5 meters)
Diet: probably fish
Cool Fact: Pterosaur crests, like some bird crests, may have been brightly colored. This may have helped members of the same species recognize each other.

Image credits: main image, © AMNH 2014; Mark Norell: AMNH.

You might also like...

Challenge your friends to this Mesozoic Era card game.
Unlike modern reptiles, pterosaurs weren't covered in scales. They were covered in fuzz! Pterosaurs kept warm with a...
Imagine a flying reptile the size of a two-seater plane! That's Quetzalcoatlus, one of the largest flying animals eve...