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Late Cretaceous Pterosaurs

The Late Cretaceous period was the last of the Mesozoic ages, terminating in a mass extinction at about 65 million years ago.  This age saw the largest of the pterosaurs and some species have been found world wide.  The United Kingdom main stages for this period are as follows.

Maastrichtian
Late Chalk and Trimmingham Chalk (Early Maastrichtian)
Senonian
Late Chalk and Norwich Chalk
Turonian
Middle Chalk
Upper Cenomanian
Plenus Marls and basal Melbourne Rock
Middle Cenomanian
Early Chalk and Chalk Basement Beds
Lower Cenomanian
Chalk Marl and various local beds

The Late Cretaceous Stages in the United Kingdom are essentially the Chalk of Southern England.  There are a good variety of pterosaur remains of species like Ornithocheirus and Ornithostoma.  Other species are known from fragmentary evidence.

World wide, the large pterosaurs like the Pteranodontids and Azhdarchids  are widely found along with many other smaller species.  By the last part of the Late Cretaceous, only the largest pterosaurs are found in the fossil record.


The position of the continents about 70ma ago.

 

 

 

Azhdarchidae

Arambourginiana philadelphidae
Aralazhdarcho bostobensis
Azhdarcho lancicollis
Azhdarcho sp. Canada
Azhdarchid from Solana
Azhdarchid from Valencia
Azhdarchid from Hell Creek
Azhdarchid from New Zealand
Eurazhdarcho langendorfensis
Alanqua saharica
Xericeps curvirostris
Bakonydraco galaczi
Bogolubovia orientalis
Hatzegopteryx thambema
Microtuban altivolans
Montanazhdarcho minor
Navajodactylus boerei
Phosphatodraco mauritanicus
Quetzalcoatlus northropi
Tethydraco regalis
Volgadraco bogolubovi
Gwawinapterus beardi

Ctenochasmidae

Unwindia trigonus

Nyctosauridae

Alcione elainus
Barbaridactylus grandis
Nyctosaurus gracilis
Nyctosaurus nanus
Nyctosaurus lamegoi
Nyctosaurus bonneri
Nyctosaurus sp. - Bifurcated crest
Muzquizopteryx coahuilensis
Simurghia robusta

Ornithocheiridae

Lonchodectes compressirostris
Lonchodectes giganteus
Anhanguera fittoni
Ornithocheirus hlavaci
Aetodactylus halli
Piksi barbarulna

Pteranodontidae

Cimolipterus cuvieri
Ornithostoma sedgwicki
Pteranodon longiceps
Pteranodon sternbergi
Pteranodon maiseyi
Dawndraco kanzai
Pteranodon sp. - Japan
Pteranodon sp - Lebanon

Track ways and Ichnites

Haenamichnus uhangriensis
Pteraichnus species - Blackhawk Fmn
Pteraichnus species - North Horn Fmn
Agadirichnus elegans