Pterosaurs, meaning ‘winged lizards’, lived through the whole Age of the Reptiles. They were some of the first reptiles in the late Triassic and a few of them were the last of the reptiles to become extinct at the end of the Cretaceous. They were the first animals with backbones to be able to fly. Their wings were made of a membrane of skin stretching from the throat to a hugely lengthened fourth finger.

The first pterosaurs had long tails and long jaws filled with sharp teeth. Later groups had shorter tails, and some were even toothless.

Some pterosaurs were tiny and could have perched on a tree branch, while others (such as Quetzalcoatlus) were enormous.

Dinosaurs and pterosaurs were quite closely related. Pterosaurs were the first animals to have hollow bones (like the bones of modern birds) which helped to reduce their weight and so make it easier for them to fly. They also had a breastbone to which the flight muscles were attached, again like modern birds and some dinosaurs. Many pterosaurs also had webbed feet, which may have allowed them to swim.

Pterosaurs were unique in having hair (rather than feathers). This is very important because it suggests that the pterosaurs were warm-blooded not cold-blooded.

When on the ground, most pterosaurs walked on all fours, but a few species walked upright. Some were probably very ungainly walkers, but others, such as the pteradactyls, seem to have been good at walking and even running.