The most authoritative illustrated book on flying reptiles availableFor 150 million years, the skies didn't belong to birds-they belonged to the pterosaurs. These flying reptiles, which include the pterodactyls, shared the world with the nonavian dinosaurs until their extinction 65 million years ago. Some pterosaurs, such as the giant azhdarchids, were the largest flying animals of all time, with wingspans exceeding thirty feet and standing heights comparable to modern giraffes. This richly illustrated book takes an unprecedented look at these astonishing creatures, presenting the latest findings on their anatomy, ecology, and extinction.Pterosaurs features some 200 stunning illustrations, including original paintings by Mark Witton and photos of rarely seen fossils. After decades of mystery, paleontologists have finally begun to understand how pterosaurs are related to other reptiles, how they functioned as living animals, and, despite dwarfing all other flying animals, how they managed to become airborne. Here you can explore the fossil evidence of pterosaur behavior and ecology, learn about the skeletal and soft-tissue anatomy of pterosaurs, and consider the newest theories about their cryptic origins. This one-of-a-kind book covers the discovery history, paleobiogeography, anatomy, and behaviors of more than 130 species of pterosaur, and also discusses their demise at the end of the Mesozoic.

ix Prefacexi Acknowledgments1.Leathery-Winged Harpies 1 2.Understanding the Flying Reptiles 43.Pterosaur Beginnings 124.The Pterosaur Skeleton 235.Soft Bits 396.Flying Reptiles 567.Down from the Skies 648.The Private Lives of Pterosaurs 749.The Diversity of Pterosaurs 9010.Early Pterosaurs and Dimorphodontidae 9511.Anurognathidae 10412."Campylognathoidids" 11313.Rhamphorhynchidae 12314.Wukongopteridae 13515.Istiodactylidae 14316.Ornithocheiridae 15217.Boreopteridae 16418.Pteranodontia 17019.Ctenochasmatoidea 18320.Dsungaripteroidea 20121.Lonchodectidae 21122.Tapejaridae 21623.Chaoyangopteridae 22824.Thalassodromidae 23425.Azhdarchidae 24426.The Rise and Fall of the Pterosaur Empire 259References 265Index 283