| Unidentified piscivorous pterosaur | |
|---|---|
| |
| Biological information | |
| Time period : | Early Cretaceous |
| Lifestyle : | Piscivore |
| In the series | |
| Brought back : | None |
| Appearances : | "Dinobirds" |
The unidentified piscivorous pterosaur is an unknown genus of pterosaur that lived in China during the Early Cretaceous period.
Portrayal in the series[]
The unidentified piscivorous pterosaur was a small animal, possessing bat-like wings with a wingspan roughly around 2 to 3 meters (6 to 9 feet) in length, comparable to that of the much later Nyctosaurus. It had a toothless beak and lacked any elaborate head crest. It is brown in colour, with bits of grey on some areas of its body while its beak is light gray in colour.
As the article title suggests, this pterosaur was a piscivore, catching freshwater fish by dipping its beak into the water and skimming through it until a fish swam by. It also lived in small flocks of at least five individuals, much like Nyctosaurus.
In Prehistoric Park[]
"Dinobirds"[]
Nigel and his crew saw a flock of five of these unidentified piscivorous pterosaur fishing for fish at the lake they had set their camp at, with three more joining them a short while later. However, calm, peaceful atmosphere of their brief encounter with these pterosaurs is soon shattered, as Nigel finds out something has raided the camp while they were busy pterosaur-watching.
Genus identity[]
Since its appearance in "Dinobirds", the identity of this pterosaur has been highly debated. The most popular theory that many fans seem to support is that the identity of the unidentified piscivorous pterosaur is Eosipterus, a genus of pterosaur of unknown affinities, but is currently considered a germanodactylid, that lived in Yixian Formation of Liaoning, China during the Early Cretaceous period. Both Eosipterus and the unidentified piscivorous pterosaur are similarly sized, with Eosipterus having a slightly smaller wingspan than the unidentified piscivorous pterosaur at just 1.2 meters. Being a germanodactylid, Eospiterus would have possessed a fleshy head crest, but since no skull of Eospiterus has ever been found, it is unknown if it definitely had one. If it did, that would means the unidentified piscivorous pterosaur would have possessed a crest, thus rendering its appearance in Prehistoric Park outdated.
Errors[]
- There is little evidence supporting the idea that the unidentified piscivorous pterosaur, or pterosaurs in general, could skim feed. The drag caused by the water would cause the jaw muscles to strain and possibly even break the pterosaur's jaw.
- In real life, the unidentified piscivorous pterosaur would have been covered in a coat of pycnofibres.
Trivia[]
- The unidentified piscivorous pterosaur is one of the two pterosaur genera Nigel encounters in the series, the other being Nyctosaurus.
- The unidentified piscivorous pterosaur seems to be an edited version of the Nyctosaurus model (or vice versa).
- The unidentified piscivorous pterosaur is one of three carnivorous animal Nigel encounters during his expedition to Cretaceous China, the others being Mei long and Microraptor.
- The unidentified piscivorous pterosaur can be briefly seen on the main menu of the DVD release of Prehistoric Park, flying past the screen before it gives you the options of play all, select scene, etc.