Ornithocheirus

Ornithocheirus is an extinct genus of large pterosaurs from the Early Cretaceous, known from fossils found in England. Its fragmentary remains have made the genus's boundaries and species assignments contentious.

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Pterosaur: A pterosaur is an extinct flying reptile with wings formed by a membrane supported chiefly by an elongated fourth finger. Ornithocheirus belongs to this group of flying reptiles, not to the dinosaurs.
Pterosaur flight: Pterosaur flight was powered by muscular flapping of wings supported by an elongated fourth finger. Its long forelimbs and flight membranes formed the basic apparatus for powered flight.
Mary Anning: Mary Anning was an English fossil collector and paleontologist whose discoveries transformed early nineteenth-century vertebrate paleontology. Pterosaur fossils from England emerged within the fossil-collecting culture she helped make famous.
Ornithocheiridae: Ornithocheiridae is a group of toothed pterosaurs that includes several large forms from the Cretaceous. Ornithocheirus is commonly discussed in relation to this family-level group.
Cambridge Greensand: The Cambridge Greensand is a geological deposit in eastern England containing abundant, often reworked Cretaceous fossils. Many English pterosaur fossils relevant to Ornithocheirus come from this fossil-rich deposit.
Cretaceous: The Cretaceous is the geologic period spanning about 145 to 66 million years ago. Ornithocheirus lived during the Early Cretaceous, the first part of this period.
Pterosaur crest: A pterosaur crest is a bony or soft-tissue projection on the skull, often varying among species and individuals. Crests occur in some close relatives and help distinguish related pterosaur forms.
Natural History Museum, London: The Natural History Museum in London is a museum of natural sciences, including extensive fossil collections. Important specimens associated with Ornithocheirus are held in British museum collections.
Cearadactylus: Cearadactylus is a genus of Early Cretaceous pterosaur known from fossils found in Brazil. It is another toothed pterosaur used in comparisons with ornithocheirid forms.
Isle of Wight: The Isle of Wight is an island off southern England with important Early Cretaceous fossil deposits. Its strata preserve a broader record of Early Cretaceous pterosaurs from England.