Rhamphorhynchus was a pterosaur, a flying reptile closely related to the dinosaurs. It lived during the late Jurassic period, roughly 150 million years ago. Rhamphorhynchus was a carnivore that probably ate fish.
Anatomy: Rhamphorhynchus had a small body, short legs, and large, light-weight wings. It had a diamond-shaped flap of skin at the end of its long, thin, pointed tail; this flap helped stabilize it in the air. It had long, narrow jaws with sharp teeth that pointed outwards. Rhamphorhynchus had a 5.75 foot (1.75 m) wing span and a skull 7.5 inches (19 cm) long.
Fossils: Rhamphorhynchus was named in 1847 by paleontologist Hermann von Meyer. Fossils have been found in Solnhofen, Germany, and Tanzania, Africa.
