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Pterosaur Footprints Reveal Terrestrial Shift 160 Million Years Ago

New research links fossilized tracks to specific clades, uncovering how flying reptiles adapted to ground-based locomotion and diverse ecological roles.

A skeletal reconstruction of a comb-jawed pterosaur walking across an ancient mudflat.
Image
Terrestrial locomotion and track morphology of pterodactyloid pterosaurs: (A) reconstruction of the ctenochasmatoid pterosaur Ctenochasma elegans walking using an ipsilateral gait in which fore and hind limbs on the same side of the body move together as pairs; (B) manual and pedal morphology of Ctenochasma elegans; the pes is plantigrade and pentadactyl, whereas the manus is digitigrade and functionally tridactyl, as the large fourth digit, which supports the outer wing, is folded away during terrestrial locomotion; (C) height map of pterosaur manus and pes footprints in the holotype of the ichnotaxon Pteraichnus stokesi, exhibiting a morphology consistent with that of Ctenochasma elegans; (D) height map of part of a pterosaur trackway, Pteraichnus isp., from the Upper Jurassic Cazals Formation of Crayssac, France; (E) interpretive outline drawing of Pteraichnus isp. Scale bars - 20 mm in (C) and 200 mm in (D) and (E). Image credit: Smyth et al., doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2025.04.017.

Overview

  • A study published in *Current Biology* confirms that pterosaurs transitioned to terrestrial lifestyles around 160 million years ago during the Middle Jurassic.
  • Researchers identified three distinct track types, linking them to neoazhdarchians, ctenochasmatoids, and dsungaripterids, revealing clade-specific behaviors.
  • Neoazhdarchian tracks, found in coastal and inland areas, show these large pterosaurs were frequent ground dwellers until their extinction 66 million years ago.
  • Ctenochasmatoid tracks, abundant in coastal deposits, suggest these needle-toothed pterosaurs waded in shallow waters to feed, akin to modern flamingos.
  • Dsungaripterid footprints, discovered alongside their skeletons, confirm their specialized feeding on shellfish using strong limbs and crushing teeth.