Dorygnathus (Dmitri Bogdanov)
With its long tail and narrow wings, Dorygnathus was a good example of what paleontologists call a "rhamphorhynchoid" pterosaur.
Rhamphorhynchoids have been found almost exclusively in western Europe, though it's not clear if this is because they were confined to this geographical location or if conditions in early Jurassic Europe happened to be well-suited for fossil preservation.
The most notable feature of Dorygnathus was its long, intermeshing front teeth, which it almost certainly used to snag fish off the surface of the water and hold them firmly in its mouth. Although the fossil specimens discovered so far have been fairly small, as pterosaurs go, there's some speculation that adults of the species may have grown throughout their lives and attained wingspans of five or six feet.
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Bob Strauss is a freelance writer and book author; one of his specialties is explaining scientific concepts and discoveries to both a lay and professional audience.
Bob Strauss is the author of two best-selling question-and-answer books that range across the expanse of science, biology, history and culture: The Big Book of What, How and Why (Main Street, 2005) and Who Knew? Hundreds & Hundreds of Questions & Answers for Curious Minds (Sterling Innovation, 2007).