PterosaurPterosaurs are an extinct clade of warm-blooded flying reptiles in the order Pterosauria. They existed during most of the Mesozoic: from the Late Triassic to the end of the Cretaceous (228 million to 66 million years ago). Pterosaurs are the earliest vertebrates known to have evolved powered flight. Their wings were formed by a membrane of skin, muscle, and other tissues stretching from the ankles to a dramatically lengthened fourth finger.
CretaceousThird and last period of the Mesozoic EraSubdivision of the Cretaceous according to the ICS, as of 2024.Vertical axis scale: Millions of years agoEtymologyName formalityFormalUsage informationCelestial bodyEarthRegional usageGlobal (ICS)Time scale(s) usedICS Time ScaleDefinitionChronological unitPeriodStratigraphic unitSystemTime span formalityFormalLower boundary definitionNot formally definedLower boundary definition candidatesMagnetic—base of Chron M18rBase of Calpionellid zone BFAD of AmmoniteBerriasella jacobiLower boundary GSSP candidate section(s)NoneUpper boundary definitionIridium-enriched layer associated with a major meteorite impact and subsequent K-Pg extinction eventUpper boundary GSSPEl Kef Section, El Kef, Tunisia36°09′13″N8°38′55″E / 36.1537°N 8.6486°E / 36.1537; 8.6486Upper GSSP ratified1991The Cretaceous (IPA: ) is a geological period that lasted from about 143.1 to 66 Ma (million years ago).
GenusGenus (; pl.: genera) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family as used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In binomial nomenclature, the genus name forms the first part of the binomial species name for each species within the genus. E.g. Panthera leo (lion) and Panthera onca (jaguar) are two species within the genus Panthera.
South DakotaSouth Dakota ( ; Dakota: Dakȟóta itókaga, pronounced) is a landlocked state in the North Central region of the United States. It is also part of the Great Plains. South Dakota is named after the Dakota Sioux tribe, which comprises a large portion of the population and has historically dominated the territory. South Dakota is the 17th-largest by area, the fifth-least populous, and the fifth-least densely populated of the 50 United States.
WyomingWyoming ( ) is a landlocked state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It borders Montana to the north and northwest, South Dakota and Nebraska to the east, Idaho to the west, Utah to the southwest, and Colorado to the south. With an estimated population of 587,618 as of 2024, Wyoming is the least populous state despite being the tenth-largest by area, and it has the second-lowest population density.
ReptileClass of animalsReptiles, as commonly defined, are tetrapodvertebrateanimals with an ectothermic metabolism and amniotic development. Reptiles traditionally comprise four orders: Testudines (turtles), Crocodilia (crocodiles, alligators and gharials), Squamata (lizards and snakes) and Rhynchocephalia (tuatara), with about 12,000 extant species listed in the Reptile Database.
KansasKansas ( KAN-zəss) is a landlocked state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Nebraska to the north, Colorado to the west, Oklahoma to the south, and Missouri to the east. Kansas is named after the Kansas River, in turn named after the Kansa people.
AlabamaU.S. stateState in the United StatesAlabama ( , ) is a state in the Southeastern and Deep Southern regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama is the 30th largest by area, and the 24th-most populous of the 50 U.S. states. Alabama is nicknamed the Yellowhammer State, after the state bird.
FossilPreserved remains or traces of organisms from a past geological ageExamples of animal fossils. Clockwise from top left: Onychocrinus, Palaeosinopa, Gryphaea, and HarpactocarcinusA fossil (from Classical Latinfossilis, lit. 'obtained by digging') is any preserved remains, impression, or trace of any once-living thing from a past geological age.
NebraskaNebraska ( ) is a landlocked state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It borders South Dakota to the north; Wyoming to the west; Colorado to the southwest; Kansas to the south; and Missouri to the southeast and Iowa to the east, both across the Missouri River. Nebraska is the 16th-largest state by land area, with just over 77,347 square miles (200,330 km).
Ancient GreekAncient Greek (Ἑλληνική, Hellēnikḗ [hellɛːnikɛ̌ː]) includes the forms of the Greek language used in ancient Greece and the ancient world from around 1500 BC to 300 BC. It is often roughly divided into the following periods: Mycenaean Greek (c. 1400 – c. 1200 BC), Dark Ages (c. 1200 – c. 800 BC), the Archaic or Homeric period (c. 800 – c. 500 BC), and the Classical period (c. 500 – c. 300 BC).
North AmericaNorth America is a continent in the Northern and Western hemispheres. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Caribbean Sea, and to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean. North America covers an area of around 24,709,000 square kilometers (9,540,000 square miles), representing approximately 16.5% of Earth's land area and 4.8% of its total surface area.*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.