Pterosaur wing claw – Pteranodon sp.
Late Cretaceous
Niobrara Chalk
Kansas, USA

20mm complete wing claw. Very rare and difficult to obtain.

Pteranodon is the most widely-recognized pterosaur of all time but its fragile bones are actually very rare finds. They usually show signs of crushing because all their bones were either thin or thin and hollow like bird bones.

Pteranodon is a genus of extinct pterosaurs, colloquially known as pterodactyls, that lived during the Late Cretaceous period, approximately 85-75 million years ago. They were flying reptiles that had wingspans of up to 33 feet (10 meters), making them some of the largest flying animals of all time.

Pteranodon had a long, toothless beak and an elongated, narrow skull. They had a specialized bone structure in their wings that allowed them to fold their wings tightly against their bodies when they were not in flight. Pteranodons are also known for their distinctive head crests, which were made of bone and could be as long as 6 feet (1.8 meters) in some species. The function of these crests is uncertain, but they may have been used for display or to help with aerodynamics during flight.

Pteranodons were adapted for flight and likely spent much of their lives in the air. They were carnivorous and probably fed on fish, which they may have caught by swooping down from the air and grabbing them with their long beaks.

Pteranodons are well-known and iconic animals, and they have been featured in numerous movies, TV shows, and other media. They are also important from a scientific standpoint, as they provide valuable insights into the evolution and biology of pterosaurs, which were some of the earliest vertebrates to evolve powered flight.