Pteranodon, the "Toothless Wing," is 
a very well-known genus of pterosaur
due to a lot of representation in
both the fossil record and several
popular movies and television shows.
Showing a great degree of sexual 
dimorphism, Pteranodon is a 
fascinating prehistoric flying 
reptile. Males grew to over six 
meters from wingtip to wingtip and 
had a very large crest; females were 
smaller with wingspans that didn't
quite reach four meters and shorter, 
rounder crests. Though traditionally 
the crest was thought to be used as 
a rudder when flying, the range of 
sizes of crests across the sexes
means it likely was not used for 
anything other than mating displays.

During the late Cretaceous Period,
the center of the United States was
an underwater paradise known as the 
Western Interior Seaway, which was a
small sea full of tasty creatures 
for Pteranodon to feast on. Its diet 
likely consisted of only fish, but 
at least there were plenty of fish 
in the sea for every pterosaur. 
Pteranodon probably fished by 
sitting on the water and plunging 
their long beaks into the waves, but
may have also been able to dive into
the water to make spectacular 
catches. On land, these creatures 
walked on all-fours with their wings
folded so that their small hands 
could reach the ground. 
