Nyctosauridae
The odd little cousins of the pteranodonts, one of these slim-winged pterosaurs not only lost the other fingers on its hands but also had the most preposterous crest of any flying reptile.
Pterosaurs
6 genera-
MaastrichtianAlamodactylus
Alamodactylus fished in seas that covered Texas 90 million years ago.
Wingspan 4.5 m -
MaastrichtianAlcione
One of the last pterosaurs, Alcione may have been a plunge diver like kingfisher birds.
Wingspan 2 m -
MaastrichtianBarbaridactylus
Barbaridactylus fished off the coast of Africa in the final years of the Mesozoic Era.
Wingspan 5 m -
TuronianMuzquizopteryx
The only known specimen of the nyctosaurid Muzquizopteryx spent years on display in the office of a mine before being described by paleontologists.
Wingspan 2 m -
CampanianNyctosaurus
The tiny relative of Pteranodon, this was also one of the most aerial-adapted pterosaurs ever. It lacked the claws on its hand, and had narrow seabird-like wings. Its claim to fame however is a titanic spiked crest three times taller than itself.
Wingspan 3 m -
MaastrichtianSimurghia
This large marine fisher is one of the last living pterosaurs.
Wingspan 4 m
