Quirks and Quarks

A Ptoothy Pterosaur With Fangs

Paleontologists in Utah discover a pterosaur with more than 100 teeth, including fearsome upwards facing fangs.

Ancient flying reptile had four ferocious fangs

Artist's impression of the as-yet-unnamed pterosaur after a successful hunt. (Josh Cotton)
Bat-winged flying reptiles called pterosaurs dominated the skies during the Age of Dinosaurs. They showed a remarkable diversity - eventually growing to enormous size - and they would have been frightening avian predators.

Dr. Britt Brooks, a paleontologist from the Department of Geological Sciences at Brigham Young University, recently uncovered a new and very early species of pterosaur from the Late Triassic - more than two hundred million years ago.

While not one of the giants of its group - it was about the size of a modern eagle - this animal was still intimidating, with more than a hundred teeth, including four impressive fangs in its lower jaw.

Related Links

Livescience story
- AP story on the dig site