The Jaws of Pterosaurs
It seems that virtually all pterosaurs were carnivores. The earliest Triassic pterosaurs have sturdy jaws with tricuspid teeth. These pterosaurs are very rare and their jaws are very distinctive.
Rhamphorhynchus and other similar species have jaws with spear like teeth. Such teeth can be found in isolation as they survive well as fossils. The jaws are long and narrow with a mass of interlocking teeth. Other similar long tailed pterosaurs have a much reduced tooth length.
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| Dorygnathus | Scaphognathus |
During the Upper Jurassic, the pterodactyloids started to show a reduction in numbers of teeth. Some pterosaurs retained teeth in the end of the jaws and others lost the end teeth, having a beak like jaw. The large toothless pterosaurs of the Upper Cretaceous had no teeth at all.
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| Gallodactylus | Pteranodon |
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This is the end of the snout of Ornithodesmus, from the Isle of Wight. It shows a broad snout with short interlocking teeth. This pterosaur probably had a strong bite and would have been able to hang on to its prey. |
See information on skulls and teeth.