Microraptor's World
Pterosaur
Dendrorynchoides
The true masters of the Liaoning skies were pterosaurs, flying
reptiles that preyed upon birds, mammals, small dinosaurs, and fish.
Museum dioramas often depict them as giants, but some pterosaurs,
like this specimen, were no bigger than swallows. A single, very
elongated fourth finger formed the leading edge and support for the
pterosaur's wing. The skin membrane stretched from wrist to ankle
and even between the hind limbs. This fossil reveals an astounding
covering of fuzz, suggesting that proto-feathers may have evolved in
an animal that was a common ancestor to both pterosaurs and
dinosaurs.