Researchers Discover Fossil Fragment in London Museum Belonged to Huge Ugly Toothed Pterosaur

Posted on October 13, 2011

Researchers have identified a small fossil fragment at the Natural History Museum, London as being part of a pterosaur (Coloborhynchus capito) that was the world's largest toothed pterosaur. Dr. David Martill from the University of Portsmouth and Dr. David Unwin from the University of Leicester examined the fossil, which consisted of the tip of a pterosaur snout that had been in the Museum collections since 1884. Their findings were published in Cretaceous Research.

Dr Unwin says, "Our study showed that the fossil represented a huge individual with a wingspan that might have reached 7 metres. This is far larger than, for example, any modern bird, although some extinct birds may have reached 6 metres in wingspan. What this research shows is that some toothed pterosaurs reached truly spectacular sizes and, for now, it allows us to put a likely upper limit on that size - around 7 metres in wingspan."

Dr Martill added, "It's an ugly looking specimen, but with a bit of skill you can work out just exactly what it was. All we have is the tip of the upper jaws - bones called the premaxillae, and a broken tooth preserved in one socket. Although the crown of the tooth has broken off, its diameter is 13mm. This is huge for a pterosaur. Once you do the calculations you realise that the scrap in your hand is a very exciting discovery."

The giant toothed pterosaur is still far short of the giant size achieved by some toothless pterosaurs. Several species of a group called azhdarchids achieved wingspans of around 10 meters.

DINOSAURS
PTEROSAURS