Rhamphorhynchus muensteri
- "beak-snout"
- Jurassic
- 4 feet long, 5 foot wing span

[I didn't get a picture of the plaque, so I'm taking info from one of my books and my own knowledge.]

The jaws of Rhamphorhynchus combine a set of very long fangs and a pointed beak, hence the name. The upper jaw has 20 pairs of these teeth while the lower jaw has 14, and they project forwards and outwards. When the jaw is closed, they mesh alternately. This dentition indicates that it was a fish eater. The breastbone is broad and strong and carries a forward-pointing crest, giving a wide attachment for strong wing-muscles. The neck is short and compact, holding the head straight out and not at an angle as with birds. The wings are stiffened with fine struts of gristle that radiated from the arm bones in the same patters as flight feathers of a bird.

From the Dinosaur Walk Museum in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.

~ harui