Long Bones from Pterosaurs

The long bones are those of the wing finger, wing and leg.  Other bones include scapula, coracoid and ribs.  Almost all of these bones are easily identified as pterosaur as long as the bone is preserved intact.  The long bones all have internal cavities and thin bone with a strong cortex (outer layer).

	Fine humerus from a medium sized early pterodactyl from the Rheatic beds, showing the humeral crest.  The distal part of the bone is damaged and shows the hollow cavity throughout this bone.  Notice how thin the bone is. (8.5 cm long)
	Ulna of a Pteranodon from the Niobara Chalk in the U.S.A.  This is a large bone which has totally collapsed into a flat compact fossil.  The air cavity is no longer there. (42 cm)
	This is a small fragment of the Ulna of an Ornithosaur from the Cambridge Greensand.  Many long bone finds are similar to this fragment. (1.8 cm)

The outer wing bones tend to be oval in section, with characteristically thin bone and a large pneumatic cavity.  This shape is also found in other small bones.
Many of the pterosaur wing bones have a triangular section. The bone is very thin and thickens at the ridges, where the bone would be more stressed in life.  Typically observed on humerus, ulna, femur and coracoid of many pterosaurs.

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