Cretaceous
Tropeognathus
Tropeognathus mesembrinus
The catalogue presents Tropeognathus as a carnivore member of Anhangueridae that lived during the Cretaceous, between 112 Ma. Its estimated range is 0.5 m in length and 13 kg in mass, giving a practical sense of scale. Reference material comes from Santana Formation, Brazil. Size and mass are approximations and may change with new fossils or methods.
Evidence-backed summary
For Tropeognathus, the PBDB records the taxonomic attribution as Wellnhofer (1987).
The PBDB places it in Tropeognathinae, and the catalogue record assigns it to the family Anhangueridae.
- PBDB · taxon.parent
- Anhangueridae
In the PBDB record, the reported stratigraphic range is the Aptian.
The PBDB catalogues 2 occurrences, with material from the Romualdo Formation (2). Provenance: Brazil.
The catalogue records the holotype as BSP 1987 I 46 and the type locality as “Santana Formation, Brazil”.
- BSP 1987 I 46
- Santana Formation, Brazil
The catalogue's reference measurements are 0.5 m in length and 13 kg in mass — estimates, which vary with specimen and method.
- 0.5 m
- 13 kg
The record gathers 6 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
- 0.5 m
- Weight
- 13 kg
- Period
- Cretaceous
- Time range
- 112 Ma
Discovery Information
- First Discovery
- 1987
- Described by
- Peter Wellnhofer
Taxonomic Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Reptilia
- Order
- Pterosauria
- Family
- Anhangueridae
- Genus
- Tropeognathus
- Species
- T. mesembrinus
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
- BSP 1987 I 46
- Type locality
- Santana Formation, Brazil