Pterodactylus

Pterosaurs (winged lizards) dominated the airspace in the Mesozoic era from 200 to 65 million years ago. The short-tailed pterosaurs (Pterodactyloidea) were the first actively flying vertebrates. During the Jurassic, pterosaurs were rather small, whereas later, during the Cretaceous period, they became enormous with wingspans of up to 11 metres. It has been verified that pterosaurs laid eggs. The young were probably able to fly immediately after hatching. The fossils shown in the exhibition were found in England, Bavaria and at Tendaguru Hill.