1. extinct flying reptiles that lived during the Mesozoic Era, characterized by wings formed by a membrane stretching from an elongated fourth finger
Usage: paleontology

Examples

• Pterosaurs were the first vertebrates to achieve powered flight.
• The museum’s exhibit featured fossils of various pterosaurs from different time periods.
• Scientists discovered that some pterosaurs had wingspans exceeding 30 feet.
• Unlike birds, pterosaurs had wings made of skin and muscle rather than feathers.
• The smallest pterosaurs were no bigger than sparrows.
• Pterosaurs dominated the skies for over 160 million years.
• Recent research suggests that pterosaurs may have been covered in hair-like filaments.