Fun Ctenochasma Facts For Kids

Did you know that millions of years ago many species of dinosaurs walked on the earth until some natural calamity wiped their entire population from the ecosystem making them extinct? The Ctenochasma were pterosaurs and belonged to the class Reptilia and genus Pterodactylus. They lived around the late Jurassic period and the early Cretaceous period.

The first fossil specimens of Ctenochasma reomeri was discovered by Christian Von Meyer in the year 1852. Ctenochasma elegans was discovered in the next decade by Wagner. There are four species of Ctenochasmas in total: Ctenochasma roemeri, Ctenochasma gracile, Ctenochasma elegans and Ctenochasma taqueti.

The fossil specimens were discovered in the Solnhofen limestone in Germany and France. This species was distinguished by its thin, sharp, and closely packed comb-like teeth, and big skull with a narrow and elongated snout. The adults have more than 400 teeth. The teeth help them filter-feeding on the ocean surface.

Also, learn amazing and interesting facts about the Campylognathoides and Jingshanosaurus.

Ctenochasma Interesting Facts

How do you pronounce 'Ctenochasma'?

The word Ctenochasma is pronounced 'sten-oh-chaz-ma', breaking the big word into four small words.

What type of dinosaur was a Ctenochasma?

Ctenochasma elegans is a species of pterosaur, genus Pterodactylus, from late Jurassic period Germany, belonging to the class Reptilia and genus Ctenochasma. The recognized species are Ctenochasma roemeri, Ctenochasma elegans, ‬Ctenochasma ‬taqueti, and Ctenochasma gracile.

In which geological period did the Ctenochasma roam the earth?

The Ctenochasma pterosaurs roamed the earth in the late Jurassic period and early Cretaceous period. They walked on the earth's surface from 150.8 million years ago to 139 million years ago. The first Ctenochasma fossil was discovered by Christian von Meyer in 1852.

When did the Ctenochasma become extinct?

This Cretaceous Ctenochasma pterosaur species become extinct 66 million years ago, due to a comet crashing into the earth. The natural calamity wiped all pterosaurs from the world.

Where did a Ctenochasma live?

The Ctenochasma lived in Europe in the late Jurassic period. The fossil teeth and skull specimens were found in the Solnhofen limestone of Bavaria, Germany, and the Calcaires Tâchetés of eastern France. The first fossil was described by Christian von Meyer in the year 1852.

What was a Ctenochasma's habitat?

Pterosaurs like Ctenochasma elegans lived near coastal regions and on lakesides. Most of the specimens have been discovered near ancient seas and lakes. They built their nests on cliffs or islands as they were clumsy on the ground.

Who did a Ctenochasma live with?

The early Ctenochasma was a nocturnal species and lived peacefully with other pterosaurs like Pterodactylus, Pteranodontia, and Ornithocheiromorpha.

How long did a Ctenochasma live?

There is no confirmed record relating to the lifespan of the Ctenochasma pterosaur.

How did they reproduce?

The Ctenochasma species adults reproduced by laying eggs. Although there is no evidence of their litter size, the eggs had leathery shells like those of modern-age lava lizards.

Some records indicate that the Ctenochasma species adults would bury their eggs underground for safety. Wagner and other researchers concluded that in the days after hatching, the juvenile pterosaurs would fly by themselves, abandoning the nests, and stayed only a few days in parental care after the growth of their wings.

Ctenochasma Fun Facts

What did a Ctenochasma look like?

The Ctenochasma pterosaur had thin, sharp, closely packed teeth, which lined its slim and elongated snout. The adults had over 400 teeth and a bony crest and skull. Their teeth projected beyond their jaw, resembling a basket.

Their limbs stretched out on both sides in the form of wings. There is no evidence of their body color, but they did not have feathers.

Their skin was coated with hair-like fibers called pycnofibers. The skull length of Ctenochasma varies between the four species. The males had crests on their heads while the females did not.

How many bones did a Ctenochasma have?

There is no record of the number of bones the Ctenochasma pterosaurs had because the fossils found in Germany only had specimens of the skulls and eggs.

How did they communicate?

Through research, scientists believe that the Ctenochasma call was a closed-mouth vocalization. The calls were drumming sounds and when in a flock they made chirp-like calls.

How big was a Ctenochasma?

The size of the Ctenochasma pterosaurs is determined in terms of their wingspan. The smallest species, Ctenochasma elegans, had a wingspan of 9.8 in (25 cm), whereas the Ctenochasma gracile had a larger wingspan. The skull length ranges from 1.3 in (3.3 cm) up to 7.9 in (20 cm).

How fast could a Ctenochasma move?

There is no evidence to determine their speed during flight.

How much did a Ctenochasma weigh?

As there were only fossil remains of Ctenochasmas in limestone, it has been difficult for researchers to determine the weight of this species.

What were the male and female names of the species?

There are no male and female names assigned to this species but the sex of the Ctenochasma pterosaurs has been determined as the males had a crested head, whereas the females lacked a crest.

What would you call a baby Ctenochasma?

A baby Ctenochasma elegans is called a juvenile by researchers and scientists.

What did they eat?

Pterosaurs like Ctenochasma elegans practiced filter feeding. They would fly low over the water, filtering the water using their teeth, and feeding on small fishes and invertebrates.

How aggressive were they?

They had a peaceful nature and avoided conflict with other species, but if they were attacked by predators, or if there were a danger to their eggs they would defend themselves and protect their eggs.

Did you know...

Around 110 species of Pterosaurs have been discovered.

Rhamphorhynchus was a genus of long-tailed pterosaur and lived on the planet in the Jurassic period.

What are the four species of Ctenochasma?

The four species of Ctenochasma pterosaur are Ctenochasma roemeri, Ctenochasma gracile, Ctenochasma elegans, and Ctenochasma taqueti.

The German paleontologist Christian von Meyer first coined the name Ctenochasma roemeri due to the lower jaw full of closely packed teeth in 1852.

The second species, Ctenochasma gracile, was described based on a fragmentary skull and was named by Oppel in 1862.

The third was a specimen of Ctenochasma elegans and was described by Wagner, and the specimen of Ctenochasma taqueti was first described by  Philippe Taquet in 1972.

What does Ctenochasma mean?

Ctenochasma means 'comb-like jaw' because these ‬pterosaurs had hundreds of small sharp teeth creating a comb. The name was first given by German paleontologist Christian Erich Hermann von Meyer in the year 1852.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly dinosaur facts for everyone to discover! For more relatable content, check out these Paronychodon fun facts or Szechuanosaurus facts for kids pages.

You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable Ctenochasma elegans coloring pages.