Cretaceous
Pteranodon
Pteranodon longiceps
The catalogue presents Pteranodon as a carnivore member of Pteranodontidae that lived during the Cretaceous, between 88.0–80.5 Ma. Its estimated range is 6.0–7.0 m wingspan in length and 20–93 kg in mass, giving a practical sense of scale. Reference material comes from Niobrara Formation, Kansas, USA. Size and mass are approximations and may change with new fossils or methods.
Evidence-backed summary
For Pteranodon, the PBDB records the taxonomic attribution as Marsh (1876).
The PBDB places it in Pteranodontia, and the catalogue record assigns it to the family Pteranodontidae.
- PBDB · taxon.parent
- Pteranodontidae
In the PBDB record, the reported stratigraphic range runs from the Coniacian to the Campanian.
The PBDB catalogues 23 occurrences, with material from the Pierre Shale Formation (14), from the Niobrara Formation (8) and from the Sharon Springs Formation (1). Provenance: United States.
The catalogue records the holotype as YPM 1177 and the type locality as “Niobrara Formation, Kansas, USA”.
- YPM 1177
- Niobrara Formation, Kansas, USA
The catalogue's reference measurements are 6.0–7.0 m wingspan in length and 20–93 kg in mass — estimates, which vary with specimen and method.
- 6.0-7.0 m wingspan
- 20-93 kg
The record gathers 27 bibliographic references registered in the PBDB, listed below.
Where it lived
Fossil occurrences on today’s map and in the tectonic reconstruction.
Positions reconstructed by PBDB/GPlates, not observed; this is not an exact habitat map.
Artistic 3D reconstruction
There is no approved species-specific 3D model yet. Generic anatomy will not be presented as if it were evidence.
Physical Specifications
- Length
- 6.0–7.0 m wingspan
- Weight
- 20–93 kg
- Period
- Cretaceous
- Time range
- 88.0–80.5 Ma
Discovery Information
- First Discovery
- 1876
- Described by
- Othniel Charles Marsh
Taxonomic Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Reptilia
- Order
- Pterosauria
- Family
- Pteranodontidae
- Genus
- Pteranodon
- Species
- P. longiceps
Data status
Taxonomic name matched to PBDB and checked on 2026-08-08.
Taxonomic linkage does not automatically validate size, mass, behaviour or appearance.
- Type specimen
- YPM 1177
- Type locality
- Niobrara Formation, Kansas, USA