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Die Pterosaurier

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Abstract

During the Mesozoic the pterosaurs, or flying reptiles, were widely spread over the world. The distribution of the pterosaur fossils shows a restriction to a zone within 40 ° latitude in relation to the paleoequators. Probably all pterosaurs had hairs, thus indicating homoiothermic conditions. The brain structure is similar to the bird's brain but relatively smaller. With regard to certain osteologic features the pterosaurs have to be classified as archosaurs. Their origin is not known and they probably became extinct due to the change of climate during the late Cretaceous.

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  1. Bayerische Staatssammlung für Paläontologie und historische Geologie, München

    P. Wellnhofer

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  1. P. Wellnhofer
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Wellnhofer, P. Die Pterosaurier. Naturwissenschaften 64, 23–29 (1977). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00439888

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