Pterodaustro Skull Replica

Description

Pterodaustro skull replica measures 12.5 x 2.0 x 3.0 inches. Pterodaustro guinazui skull is a museum-quality polyurethane resin cast from the Natural History Museum of Sciences specimen. 2-part skull (separate cranium and mandible). 1:1 scale. Made in USA.

The Pterodaustro lived in South America roughly 105 million years ago. This Cretaceous pterodactyloid pterosaur possesses a remarkably long 29-centimeter skull. Its snout accounts for 85 percent of that total length. Both the upper and lower jaws curve sharply upward.

The lower jaw contains approximately one thousand bristle-like teeth. These specialized structures allowed the animal to strain algae and small crustaceans from the water.

Research on these unique structures confirms they are true teeth. Because they contained enamel, dentine and a pulp they functioned like the teeth of other verterates. Despite their hard composition, the extreme length-width ratio likely allowed them to bend up to 45 degrees without breaking.

Consequently, the upper jaws also carried very small teeth featuring a flat conical base and a spatula-formed crown. These upper teeth lacked separate sockets and instead sat within a specialized tooth pad held by ligaments and small bone plates. Unlike most reptiles, this species apparently did not replace its teeth throughout its life.

Scientific Classification

• Kingdom: Animalia
• Phylum: Chordata
• Class: Reptilia
• Order: †Pterosauria
• Suborder: †Pterodactyloidea
• Family: †Ctenochasmatidae
• Genus: †Pterodaustro
• Species: †P. guinazui
• Binomial name: †Pterodaustro guinazui Bonaparte and Sanchez, 1970
• Conservation Status: Extinct

Pairing this filter-feeder with our Carnotaurus skull replica, Abelisaurus skull replica or the Eoraptor skull replica creates a complete South American Cretaceous profile. These additions contrast the delicate bristle-toothed anatomy of the Pterodaustro against the robust predatory structures of regional terrestrial theropods.