Pterodactyl, informal term for a subgroup of flying reptiles (Pterosauria) known from the Late Jurassic through the Late Cretaceous epochs (163.5 to 66 million years ago). They lived at the end of the Jurassic Period between 148 and 151 million years ago. The first specimen of this pterosaur was discovered way back in 1784, in Germany's Solnhofen fossil beds, decades before before naturalists had any conception of the theory of evolution (which wouldn't be scientifically formulated, by Charles Darwin, until about … Pterodactyls lived in the same period as the dinosaurs, but are actually flying reptiles. It was not a dinosaur, though it lived during the same period. Or did they survive Noah's Flood and die out in more recent days? Pterosaurs were a vast taxonomic order of flying animals (likely warm-blooded and covered with fuzz) which filled the ecological niche that birds currently occupy today. Many creationists believe in human-dinosaur coexistence, i.e., that since humans have been around since the beginning of time, they necessarily coexisted with nonavian dinosaurs.This is even shoehorned into a belief that dinosaurs are mentioned in the Bible (e.g., the Behemoth from Job, dragons).The open disagreements with creationists fall mostly on how … Pterodactylus lived around 150.8–148.5 million years ago, during the late Jurassic Period. The first Pterodactyl fossil was discovered in 1815. The Pterodactyl was part of a group of dinosaurs known as Pterosaur (wing lizard). Pterodactyls are an extinct species of winged reptiles (pterosaurs) that lived during the Jurassic period (about 150 million years ago.) Estimates put the average length of a Pterodactyl at 3.5 feet. During the Jurassic, the region was a swampy wetland at the edge of an ancient sea. Pterodactyl - A Highly Confused Term. Pterodactylus is a case study in how confusing it can be to classify 150-million-year-old animals. Stories of flying reptiles have been recorded for many hundreds of years. Although there seems to be no hard evidence that pterosaurs did not die out millions of years ago - no pterosaurs have ever been captured and no bodies have ever been found - sightings have persisted. ‘Pterodactyl’ is a common name for pterosaurs. Last Pterodactyl Did those magnificent flying reptiles, the pterodactyls, die out some 65 million years ago as evolutionists believe? Pterodactyl lived during the Late Jurassic and resided in Africa and Europe. According to a report in ‘The Illustrated London News' of February 9, 1856 (p.166), some workmen digging a railway tunnel in France last century, between Nancy and St. Dizier, … Pterosaurs have sometimes been incorrectly identified as (the ancestors of) birds, though birds are theropod dinosaurs and not closely related to pterosaurs. Many pterodactyl fossils are preserved in Bavaria, Germany. Read a National Geographic magazine article about pterosaurs, the largest animals that ever flew, and get information, facts, and more about these prehistoric flying reptiles. Their wingspans ranged from 2 to 11 meters (6.5 to 36 feet), which makes them the largest known flying animal. Founding father of paleontology, George Cuvier coined the term ‘pterodactyl’ in the 1800s. The term ‘pterodactyl’ is a pseudo name and actually means winged lizard. Pterodactylus was a relatively small pterosaur with a wingspan of just over 1 metre (3.28 ft.) Pterodactylus had a long beak filled with around 90 short, sharp teeth. Modern Pterodactyl Sightings . Now, after discovering the pterodactyl's fossilized remains in northeastern Utah, scientists suggest the creature was the first flying vertebrate on Earth, according to a new study released Monday. Pterodactyl was a pterosaur, a type of flying reptile. 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