British dinosaurs

 

Ornithocheirus (鳥掌翼龍) ; Dimorphodon (雙型齒翼龍)
Great Britain (2013)
13th May, 2014. Cardiff

Over the past 200 years the fossilised remains of the skeletons of the dinosaurs featured in this issue have been found in the UK, mostly in southern Britain – hence they are ‘British’ dinosaurs. The lightweight Ornithocheirus flew mostly by soaring and gliding on its long, narrow wings. It fed by skimming the sea surface and catching fish with its long, slender jaws fringed with sharp, outwardly pointing, interlocking teeth. The two different sizes of teeth in the jaws of Dimorphodon suggest that it was piscivorous (a fish-eater). It had a large, puffin-shaped skull, with big side openings supported by thin, bony struts to save weight.