Pterosaurs That Preferred Walking to Flying

Life restoration of a group of foraging azhdarchids. Photo Credit: Mark Witton

We've all seen the images in movies like Jurassic Park. Giant pterosaurs flying around, snatching their prey from above.

A study from researchers at the University of Portsmouth however, challenges the theory that all pterosaurs hunted from the sky.

By analyzing pterosaur anatomy, fossils, and footprints, researchers believe that a certain type of pterosaur, the azhdarchids, searched for food from the ground and not the sky.

Their long limbs and skulls gave them the ability to be able to capture small animals and other food from the ground.

For additional information, see:

• Giant Flying Reptiles Preferred To Walk (Science Daily)
  
• A Reappraisal of Azhdarchid Pterosaur Functional Morphology and Paleoecology (PLoS One, 2008; 3(5): e2271)