Pterodaustro

Pterodaustro was a filter-feeding pterosaur from Early Cretaceous Argentina. Its lower jaw carried hundreds of fine, bristle-like teeth that strained small food from water.

Filter feeding: A feeding method that strains small food particles from water or air. Pterodaustro’s dense lower-jaw teeth formed a biological filter.
Lagarcito Formation: A Lower Cretaceous geological formation in San Luis Province, Argentina. Its rocks preserve the principal known fossils of Pterodaustro.
Pterosaur: An extinct group of flying reptiles that lived during the Mesozoic Era. Pterodaustro belongs to this group, distinct from birds and dinosaurs.
Pterodaustro holotype: The name-bearing fossil specimen used to define the species Pterodaustro guinazui. The type specimen anchors the scientific identification of Pterodaustro.
Pterosaur dentition: The tooth structure and arrangement found in pterosaurs. Pterodaustro’s exceptional tooth density contrasts with the varied jaws of other pterosaurs.
San Luis Province: A province in west-central Argentina. Pterodaustro fossils come from deposits in this region.
Ctenochasmatidae: A family of pterosaurs that includes several long-jawed filter feeders. Pterodaustro is a highly specialized member of this pterosaur family.
Pterodaustro guinazui: The sole named species of the pterosaur genus Pterodaustro. Most known anatomical and ecological claims concern this species.
Bristle-like teeth: Slender, closely spaced teeth adapted to trap small particles during feeding. These teeth made Pterodaustro’s lower jaw suited to sieving food.
Cretaceous: A geological period lasting from about 145 to 66 million years ago. Pterodaustro lived during the Early Cretaceous, within this period.

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DsungaripterusCompared with: Its fine filter-feeding dentition contrasts with Dsungaripterus's robust crushing teeth.