Fun Tropeognathus Facts For Kids

An extinct genus of the Pterosaur order and the Anhangueridae family, the Tropeognathus lived during the early Cretaceous period that spanned from 145 to 100.5 million years ago. Studies also revealed that the dinosaur belonged to another family known as the Ornithocheiridae.

These dinosaurs were known for their keel-tipped snouts and large size and were regarded as the largest Pterosaurs found in the Southern Hemisphere.

In 1987, a specimen of the Pterosaur was discovered in the Romualdo formation that dated back to Aptian and Albian stages. Several Pterosaur specimens were found along with the holotype, a skull with lower jaws.

The second specimen was discovered in 2002 by Andre Jacques Veldmeijer; it consisted of a partial lower jaw.

Alexander Kellner, a Brazilian paleontologist, discovered the third specimen that had a skeleton with a skull and several body parts except for the tail and lower hindlimb. In 1987, Peter Wellnhofer named the Pterosaur the Tropeognathus mesembrinus, while the second species came to be known as the Tropeognathus robustus as it possessed a more robust lower jaw.

Fossil remains suggested that the average length of the wingspan was estimated to be around 27-28.5 ft (8.3-8.7 m), making it much larger than a few related dinosaurs such as the Ornithocheirus and the Coloborhynchus. They had a toothed beak and keels rising from the tips of their upper and lower jaws.

Pterosaurs were able to reach a speed of up to 75 mph (120 kph).

This group of Pterosaur was generally known to be diurnal, while a few species must have been cathemeral which means being active throughout the day for short intervals.

Let's read more fun facts about the Tropeognathus, and if you find this article interesting, don't forget to check out exciting facts about different dinosaurs such as the Cryptoclidus and Machimosauruses.

Tropeognathus Interesting Facts

Was the Tropeognathus a dinosaur?

The Tropeognathus was a flying Pterosaur that lived during the early Cretaceous period. The Pterosaur was known for its long wingspan which was around 27-28.5 ft (8.3-8.7 m). There was an entire episode of an award-winning BBC television program made about the Tropeognathus mesembrinus.

How do you pronounce 'Tropeognathus'?

The pronunciation seems to be a bit difficult, but we are here to make it a little easier for kids. We are going to tell you a simple trick that can be applied to the pronunciation of all names, be it names of dinosaurs, animals, places, and many other things.

You just have to break the whole term into several syllables like 'trop-e-og-nay-fuss' to make it less complicated.

What type of prehistoric flying bird was a Tropeognathus?

The Tropeognathus was a Pterosaur that belonged to the class of Reptilia, the family of Anhangueridae, and the Tropeognathus genus. In 1987, Peter Wellnhofer named the Pterosaur the Tropeognathus mesembrinus, while the second species came to be known as the Tropeognathus robustus as it possessed a more robust lower jaw.

In which geological period did the Tropeognathus live?

These Pterosaurs belonged to the early Cretaceous period which spanned from 145 to 100.5 million years ago. During this period, these Pterosaurs lived in several parts of South America.

When did the Tropeognathus become extinct?

The genus must have become extinct somewhere between Aptian and Albian stages. The reason for extinction is not clear as of now, but dinosaurs became extinct due to several reasons such as climate change, volcanic eruption, asteroid impact, and drought.

Where did a Tropeognathus live?

The first Tropeognathus skeleton was found in the Romualdo formation, Brazil. It is said that the Pterosaur inhabited Peru, Argentina, Bolivia, Paraguay, and several other countries of the South American continent.

What was a Tropeognathus's habitat?

The exact habitat of the Pterosaur species is not known as of now, but it probably inhabited forests, woodlands, and mountains of Brazil and other neighboring countries. Coastal areas could also be included in the list as fish were a major part of the Tropeognathus diet.

Who did a Tropeognathus live with?

It is not known whether the species used to live in a flock, like modern birds, but since they were carnivores, they must have hunted in groups, which also means that they were probably social. They appeared in pairs during the breeding season.

How long did the Tropeognathus live?

The exact life span of these Pterosaurs is not known, but small species of the early Cretaceous period probably lived shorter lives, unlike big-sized dinosaurs. Life span was also affected by rivalry among themselves.

How did they reproduce?

These Pterosaurs must have reproduced like other species of the Anhangueridae group. Like modern-day reptiles and birds, dinosaurs also used to reproduce by laying eggs. They also performed several courtship displays to attract potential partners and males probably fought over females.

The first egg specimen of the Pterosaur was found in quarries of Liaoning, China, the same place where feathered dinosaurs were discovered. Like eggs of modern lizards, the egg was soft and flat with no marks of cracking and also had a leathery shell.

The size of the egg was quite small compared to the size of the female dinosaur.

Studies revealed that preserved wing membranes in these dinosaurs were well developed, suggesting that they were able to fly right after birth. Also, young dinosaurs had a weak chest for flight, but well-developed thigh bones for walking.

Studies performed by Christopher Bennett and David Unwin revealed that young dinosaurs were dependent on adults for a shorter period of time. They must have been with their parents until their wings grew long enough to fly. Female dinosaurs must have used stored yolk products for the young ones during their first few days of life.

Tropeognathus Fun Facts

What did a Tropeognathus look like?

The dinosaur was best known for a toothed beak and keels rising from the tips of its upper and lower jaws. Wings were relatively longer than the body.

How many bones did a Tropeognathus have?

The exact number of bones is not known as of now, but several remains were found during the excavation. A skull with lower jaws was found from the first specimen, and a partial lower jaw was found when Andre Jacques Veldmeijer discovered the second specimen.

In 2013, the fossil had a skeleton with a skull, and several body parts except for the tail and lower hindlimb.

How did they communicate?

These Pterosaurs probably communicated in the same way as other dinosaurs of the early Cretaceous period. Dinosaurs, in general, used visual, auditory, and tactile cues to communicate with each other.

Like modern-day animals, they used to perform several courtship displays to attract potential partners. Also, they were cathemeral which means they remained active throughout the day at short intervals. Dinosaurs were quite protective of their habitat and range and fought with intruders.

How big was the Tropeognathus?

While talking about the Tropeognathus size, the length was around 7.9 ft (2.4 m), while the average length of the wingspan was around 27-28.5 ft (8.3-8.7 m). The wingspan of a few related dinosaurs such as the Ornithocheirus and the Coloborhynchus was around 15-20 ft (4.5-6 m).

The dinosaur must have been much smaller than the Moabosaurus and the Hydrotherosaurus.

How fast could a Tropeognathus move?

The exact speed of the dinosaur is not known as of now but generally, Pterosaurs were able to reach a speed of up to 75 mph (120 kph). Tropeognathus dinosaurs were known as aerial predators as they used to hunt in lakes and marine water.

How much did a Tropeognathus weigh?

The weight of the dinosaur was around 99 lb (45 kg).

What were the male and female names of the species?

No specific names are used to refer to male and female dinosaurs.

What would you call a baby Tropeognathus?

Like modern reptiles, babies of these dinosaurs are called hatchlings.

What did they eat?

They were carnivores and generally fed on small mammals, fish, and insects.

How aggressive were they?

Dinosaurs tended to be aggressive to intruders.

Did you know...

Pterosaurs existed from the late Triassic period to the end of the Cretaceous age.

Why are they called Tropeognathus?

The genus name Tropeognathus was derived from a Greek word that translates to 'keeled jaws', while the species name 'mesembrinus' has also been derived from a Greek word which means 'southern', referring to the Southern Hemisphere.

How many specimens of Tropeognathus were discovered?

In 1987, a specimen of the Pterosaur dinosaur was discovered in the Romualdo formation that dated back to Aptian and Albian stages. Several Pterosaur specimens were found along with the holotype, and they consisted of a skull with lower jaws.

The second specimen was discovered in 2002 by Andre Jacques Veldmeijer, and it consisted of a partial lower jaw. Alexander Kellner, a Brazilian paleontologist, discovered the third specimen that had a skeleton with a skull and several body parts except for the tail and lower hindlimb.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly prehistoric animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other creatures from our Sordes fun facts, or Tapejara facts for kids.

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

We've been unable to source an image of a Tropeognathus and have used an image of a Pterosaur instead. If you are able to provide us with a royalty-free image of a Tropeognathus, we would be happy to credit you. Please contact us at hello@kidadl.com.