Pterodactyls, a term often used to describe the species Pterodactylus antiquus, were carnivores that primarily fed on small animals. This flying reptile was one of the earliest and smallest pterosaurs, typically the size of a modern housecat with a wingspan of less than four feet. The diet consisted of invertebrates and small vertebrates. While the broader group of flying reptiles demonstrated a wide variety of feeding behaviors, the most famous members were hunters.
Pterodactyls: Classification and Context
The creature commonly called a Pterodactyl belongs to the order Pterosauria, the first group of vertebrates to evolve powered flight. These flying reptiles existed throughout the Mesozoic Era, appearing in the late Triassic period and disappearing at the end of the Cretaceous period, approximately 65 million years ago. Pterosaurs were not dinosaurs, but a separate lineage of archosaurs, despite living alongside them for millions of years. Their unique anatomy included wings formed by a membrane of skin and muscle that stretched from an elongated fourth finger to the ankle.
The specific genus Pterodactylus is known from the Late Jurassic period, around 150 million years ago. Fossils have been primarily unearthed from the Solnhofen limestone deposits in Bavaria, Germany, a region known for its exceptionally preserved specimens. Pterodactylus was one of the earlier, smaller examples within the Pterosauria, a group that later included giants with wingspans reaching forty feet. Dietary habits varied significantly across the Pterosaur group, which contained over 150 known species.
The Direct Answer: Dietary Habits
Pterodactylus antiquus was a generalist carnivore focused on small prey. The primary food sources for this genus were small marine life, including fish and cephalopods like squid. Paleontologists also believe their diet included terrestrial insects and other small arthropods. Their small size limited their hunting capabilities to prey that could be easily subdued and swallowed whole.
Other pterosaur species evolved highly specialized diets. Some large, toothless pterosaurs likely scavenged carcasses or hunted small terrestrial vertebrates. Extreme specializations included the filter-feeding pterosaur Pterodaustro, which used hundreds of fine, bristle-like teeth to strain plankton from the water. Despite this variety, the dietary interpretations for toothed, fish-adjacent pterosaurs like Pterodactylus consistently point toward a fish-and-invertebrate diet.
Scientific Evidence of Pterosaur Diets
Scientists determine the diets of extinct animals by analyzing several lines of fossilized evidence, starting with the physical structure of the skull. The long, slender jaws and sharp, conical, and forward-pointing teeth of Pterodactylus strongly suggest a diet of slippery, aquatic prey that required a quick, secure grasp, ideally suited for catching fish near the water’s surface. Dental microwear analysis provides further detail by examining microscopic scratch patterns on the teeth.
This analysis compares the texture of fossil teeth to those of modern reptiles with known diets. Smoother tooth surfaces correlate with eating soft items like fish, while rougher, more pitted surfaces indicate a diet of hard prey, such as shelled invertebrates. This technique supported the hypothesis that Pterodactylus focused on small animals, while other early pterosaurs may have focused heavily on shelled invertebrates. The most definitive proof of diet comes from rare finds of fossilized stomach contents.
One discovery involved two related pterosaurs, Dorygnathus and Campylognathoides, preserved with their last meals intact. The Dorygnathus specimen contained small fish bones, confirming a piscivorous diet. The Campylognathoides contained the tiny, hook-like structures from squid tentacles. These direct fossil records confirm that different pterosaur species coexisted by hunting distinct prey, demonstrating niche partitioning. This combination of dental evidence, jaw structure, and direct stomach contents allows paleontologists to confidently categorize Pterodactylus as a carnivore.