🦅 Sky and sea giants

The flying reptiles of the dinosaur age, called pterosaurs, were close cousins of dinosaurs but not dinosaurs themselves. They ruled the skies on wings made of skin stretched between their bodies and a very long finger. Some were as small as a bird, while the biggest had wings wider than a small plane.

While dinosaurs ruled the land, huge reptiles ruled the ancient oceans. Some looked like dolphins with long snouts, others had long necks and paddle-shaped flippers, and a few were fierce hunters bigger than a bus. Like dinosaurs, these sea reptiles were not fish and had to come up to breathe air.

The biggest flying animals of all time were the largest pterosaurs, giant reptiles from the dinosaur age. The very biggest had wings as wide as a small aeroplane, yet light hollow bones helped them take to the sky. Standing on the ground, one could look a giraffe in the eye.

Pterosaurs flew on wings made of a tough, stretchy skin held out by one enormously long finger. Their bones were hollow and light, which made lifting off easier, and their strong shoulders and chest powered each flap. Many were superb gliders, riding the wind for long distances with barely a beat.