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pterodactyl

   Also found in: Dictionary/thesaurus, Wikipedia, Hutchinson 0.06 sec.
pterodactyl (tĕrədăk`tĭl), popular term for a pterosaur pterosaur (tĕr`əsôr') [Gr., = winged lizard], extinct flying reptile (commonly called pterodactyl [Gr.
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pterodactyl

Any member of the pterosaur suborder Pterodactyloidea, known from Late Jurassic and Cretaceous fossils (159–65 million years ago) in eastern Africa and Europe. Members of the typical genus, Pterodactylus, ranged from the size of a sparrow to that of an albatross. Pterodactyls had slender, delicate teeth that were angled forward (possibly for use as straining devices), long metacarpal bones, and a short tail. They were probably able gliders but not efficient as active fliers, and they apparently lacked feathers. Unlike the archaeopteryx, the pterodactyl was not an ancestor of the birds.
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The pyramidal rock upon which I saw and shot the pterodactyl was more accessible.
The Lost World by Doyle, Sir Arthur Conan View in context
The thing appeared to be some variety of pterodactyl, and what with its enormous size and ferocious aspect was most awe-inspiring.
The Land That Time Forgot by Burroughs, Edgar Rice View in context
By the time the thipdars had disposed of the last of the slaves the Mahars were all asleep upon their rocks, and a moment later the great pterodactyls swung back to their posts beside the queen, and themselves dropped into slumber.
At the Earth's Core by Burroughs, Edgar Rice View in context
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