Flying Dinosaur names beginning with the letter Z
Flying dinosaurs beginning with the letter Z is going to be a short look, though not the shortest of the letters! As there are only two pterosaurs discovered so far that start with Z!
Both were impressive both in appearance and size, so while they may be at the back of the alphabet, they are not at the back of the list for impressive flying dinosaurs!
Check out more Flying dinosaurs and Pterosaurs below!
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Pterosaurs beginning with Z
John.Conway at the English-language Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/, via Wikimedia Commons
Name: Zhejiangopterus
When Lived: Late Cretaceous
Wingspan: 11+ feet
Discovered: 1986
Where: China
Diet: carnivore
Zhejiangopterus
Name meaning: Zhejiang wing
Zhejiangopterus, a pterosaur from the Late Cretaceous period, roamed the prehistoric skies about 90-80 million years ago
Discovered in China, it boasted a large wingspan of about 3-4 meters (11-12 feet) and would have weighed about 8 kg (17 lbs.)
As a member of the azhdarchid family, Zhejiangopterus likely had a long neck and a long toothless beak, suggesting a diet of fish and small animals.
Its appearance would have been impressive, with a large wingspan giving it a distinctive and formidable presence.
More Information
http://www.fossilworks.org/cgi-bin/bridge.pl?a=taxonInfo&taxon_no=156653
Dean Schnabel (SassyPaleoNerd), CC BY 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Name: Zhenyuanopterus
When Lived: Early Cretaceous
Wingspan: 11 -13 feet
Discovered: 2005
Where: China
Diet: Carnivore
Zhenyuanopterus
Name meaning: Sun Zhenyuan wing
Zhenyuanopterus, a pterosaur from the Early Cretaceous period, takes us on a journey to ancient skies. Discovered in China, this remarkable flyer had a wingspan of about 3 – 4 meters (around 11-13 feet).
While its diet is not fully known, similar pterosaurs likely fed on fish and small animals. With 86 teeth in both jaws! for a total of 172!
Zhenyuanopterus had a slender build, lightweight bones, and a wingspan allowing it to glide gracefully through the air.
Its appearance would have been awe-inspiring, with outstretched wings and a long, pointed beak ready to snatch its prey.
More Information
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1755-6724.2010.00204.x
Conclusion
So far there have been only two flying dinosaurs or pterosaurs found that start with the letter Z, both in China – the Zhenyuanopterus and the Zhejiangopterus,
Bother were large to medium sized and carnivores, and while they may not have weighed so much their impressive wingspans would have been an amazing sight!
Don’t forget you can jump to other letters to learn more about flying dinosaurs and pterosaurs by clicking below.
Check out more Flying dinosaurs and Pterosaurs below!
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Hi, I am Roy Ford a General Studies and English Teacher who has taught all over the world. What started as a fossil collection became a great way to teach, motivate and inspire students of all ages and all over the world about dinosaurs and from that and children’s love of dinosaurs came the site dinosaur facts for kids, a resource for all ages.
