Coloborhynchus clavirostris

Coloborhynchus as like many pterosaurs had an elongated skull. Crammed full of sharp pointed teeth, it also had smaller teeth protruding forward from the front of the jaw, this probably helped to hold the pterosaurs prey so that it could transport the fish further towards the throat.

Coloborhynchus had a small crest protruding from the snout region of the skull. Coloborhynchus has been found in the lower Cretaceous and from localities in Europe, South America and North America, multiple species have been described. Coloborhynchus is known mostly from fragmentary remains, including sections of the skull and teeth. Coloborhynchus remains have been found from the lower Cretaceous period, Albian stage of the Cambridge Greensand of England.

Name

Coloborhynchus clavirostris

Authority

clavirostris (Owen 1874) - BMNH:Holotype
araripensis (Veldmeijer 2003)
spielbergi (Veldmeijer 2003)
piscator (Veldmeijer 2003)

Meaning of generic name

Maimed Beak

Meaning of specific name

Key Snout

Size

Wingspan: 3 m

Remains

Fragmentary remains, include several teeth, isolated and associated bones, skulls and partial skeleton

Age and Distribution

Lower Cretaceous Greensand Formation (Albian), Cambridge, England.

Lower Cretaceous Santana Formation (Cenomanian), Brazil.

Classification

Pterosauria Pterodactyloidea Ornithocheiroidea Ornithocheiridae

Further Reading

A.J. Veldmeijer, H.J.M. Meijer and M. Signore. Coloborhynchus from the Lower Cretaceous Santana Formation, Brazil (Pterosauria, Pterodactyloidea, Anhangueridae); an update. Journal of vertebrate palaeontology, 3, 2, (2006)