Unearthing the Secrets of Earth’s Ancient Flyers
The Study That Changed Everything
On May 1, 2025, a groundbreaking study was published in Current Biology, detailing the results of a research project led by Robert Smyth, a doctoral researcher in the Centre for Palaeobiology and Biosphere Evolution at the University of Leicester. For the first time, scientists have managed to connect distinct fossilized tracks to specific types of pterosaurs.
The findings are extraordinary. They not only demonstrate that pterosaurs frequently walked on land but also reveal that multiple groups evolved unique walking and feeding behaviors suited to different environments. This ecological shift, which occurred around 160 million years ago during the Middle Jurassic period, is now considered a major evolutionary turning point in pterosaur history.
Pterosaurs: More Than Just Flyers
Pterosaurs are often overshadowed by their more famous Mesozoic cousins, the dinosaurs. However, these reptiles were remarkable in their own right, dominating the skies for over 150 million years. With wingspans ranging from the size of a seagull to the length of a small airplane, pterosaurs were among the most diverse and successful flying vertebrates in Earth's history.
Until recently, much of what scientists knew about pterosaurs came from fossilized skeletons. These remains, however, are rare and often poorly preserved, especially for the lighter, more delicate flying species. Footprints, by contrast, provide a different kind of insight. They are snapshots of behavior—real-time records of movement, posture, and interaction with the environment.
As Smyth explains:
“Footprints offer a unique opportunity to study pterosaurs in their natural environment. They reveal not only where these creatures lived and how they moved, but also offer clues about their behaviour and daily activities in ecosystems that have long since vanished.”
Three Track Types, Three Lifestyles
By analyzing footprint fossils and comparing them with known pterosaur skeletons, researchers identified three major types of pterosaur tracks, each associated with a different lifestyle:
1. Neoazhdarchians – The Ground Stalkers
Perhaps the most astonishing revelation is the link between large footprints and a group called neoazhdarchians, which includes the iconic Quetzalcoatlus, known for its immense 10-meter wingspan. Previously thought of primarily as sky-dwellers, these animals also spent significant time on the ground.
Footprints attributed to neoazhdarchians have been found in both coastal and inland sedimentary deposits, suggesting that these towering reptiles stalked prey on foot in a wide variety of environments. Their long limbs and lightweight bodies may have made them highly efficient terrestrial hunters—essentially prehistoric storks on steroids.
2. Ctenochasmatoids – The Coastal Waders
Tracks left behind in ancient coastal deposits tell the story of the ctenochasmatoids, pterosaurs with long jaws and needle-like teeth. These features made them adept at wading through shallow waters and sifting small fish or crustaceans from the mud. Their tracks, commonly found near ancient lagoons and estuaries, suggest they were far more abundant than their skeletal fossils imply.
These pterosaurs likely moved slowly and methodically along the shores, feeding in much the same way modern herons or spoonbills do today. Their abundance of footprints indicates that these animals thrived in their coastal niches.
3. Dsungaripterids – The Shell Crushers
In rock layers where dsungaripterid skeletons have also been found, paleontologists discovered a third kind of footprint. These tracks belong to pterosaurs with robust bodies, powerful limbs, and specialized jaws for cracking shellfish.
With curved, toothless beak tips and strong crushing teeth in the back of their mouths, dsungaripterids were likely adapted to life in rocky coastal or tidal zones, where they pried open hard-shelled prey. The close association between their tracks and fossils offers one of the clearest examples of matching trace fossil to track-maker.
Why This Discovery Matters
This research provides a clearer, more nuanced understanding of pterosaur ecology than ever before. Until now, pterosaurs were mostly studied as airborne animals. The new study highlights that many were also skilled terrestrial foragers, suggesting a far more complex and diverse set of lifestyles.
Dr. David Unwin, co-author from the University of Leicester’s School of Museum Studies, explains:
“Finally, 88 years after first discovering pterosaur tracks, we now know exactly who made them and how.”
The study underscores how integrating trackways with skeletal analysis can yield profound insights into extinct species’ behaviors—especially those, like pterosaurs, that are underrepresented in the fossil record.
A Glimpse into Prehistoric Ecosystems
Perhaps most significantly, the discovery paints a richer picture of Mesozoic ecosystems. The presence of pterosaur tracks in a variety of habitats—coastal, inland, and intertidal—suggests these animals shared environments with dinosaurs, early mammals, and other reptiles in more complex ways than previously imagined.
Some of these track types persist in the fossil record right up to the catastrophic asteroid impact 66 million years ago, which wiped out both pterosaurs and non-avian dinosaurs. Their footprints serve as some of the last traces of these magnificent creatures before their extinction.
Conclusion: Walking in the Footsteps of Giants
The University of Leicester’s study marks a pivotal advancement in pterosaur research. It transforms how scientists perceive these ancient aviators—not merely as creatures of the air, but as adaptable, ground-walking, behaviorally diverse reptiles. Thanks to fossil footprints, researchers can now walk alongside pterosaurs in a way they never could before.
As Robert Smyth puts it:
“By closely examining footprints, we can now discover things about their biology and ecology that we can't learn anywhere else.”
In the silent stone of prehistoric trackways, a vibrant new narrative is emerging—one that brings us ever closer to understanding the life and legacy of Earth’s first flyers.
Story Source:
Materials provided by University of Leicester.
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