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Eudimorphodon

Say it: yoo-dye-MOR-foh-don

Name means: “true two-formed tooth”1

Ate: FishFlying reptilesLate TriassicNot technically a dinosaur

Eudimorphodon was a small flying reptile that lived during the Late Triassic, about 219 to 215 million years ago. It was one of the oldest pterosaurs ever found, with a wingspan about as long as a meter stick. Its name means 'true two-formed tooth' because it had two different kinds of teeth in its mouth.1

Fun fact: pterosaurs flew over the dinosaurs, but they were their cousins, not dinosaurs themselves.

Lived

227 to 201 million years ago3

Late Triassic

Fossils found in

Italy, France, Luxembourg, and Switzerland3

Food

Fish1 3

Length

1 m1

Wingspan

1 m1

Weight

up to 10 kg1

When did it live?

Triassic

Jurassic

Cretaceous

252 million years ago20114566, the asteroid

How big was it?

How long was it?

How heavy was it?

as heavy as 2.5 house cats

as long as 2 house cats nose to tailas long as 6 bananas end to endas heavy as 83 bananas

How big was Eudimorphodon compared to YOU?

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cool stuff

Fun facts

Eudimorphodon had 110 teeth packed into a jaw only 6 centimeters (2.4 inches) long. That is more teeth than most pterosaurs.1

Its teeth had multiple points, or cusps, with most having five cusps. This is very unusual for a pterosaur.1

When Eudimorphodon closed its mouth, the top and bottom teeth touched each other. This is the strongest tooth-to-tooth contact known in any pterosaur.1

Young Eudimorphodon had fewer teeth than adults and may have eaten insects instead of fish.1

The first Eudimorphodon fossil was discovered in 1973 by Mario Pandolfi in Cene, Italy. It was a nearly complete skeleton.1

Eudimorphodon lived during the Late Triassic, about 219 to 215 million years ago, making it one of the oldest known pterosaurs.1

AI-made picture of Eudimorphodon — An AI-made picture of how Eudimorphodon might have looked, made by a computer from what scientists know. It is a guess: the real animal may have looked different, and nobody knows its true colours.

you asked

Most asked questions about Eudimorphodon

?How big was Eudimorphodon?

Eudimorphodon was a small pterosaur, about 1 meter (3.3 feet) long with a wingspan of about 1 meter (3.3 feet). It weighed no more than 10 kilograms (22 pounds).2

?What did Eudimorphodon eat?

Eudimorphodon mostly ate fish, and stomach contents show it ate fish like Parapholidophorus. It also crushed hard-shelled invertebrates, and young ones may have eaten insects.2

?Did Eudimorphodon have teeth?

Yes, Eudimorphodon had 110 teeth packed into a jaw only 6 centimeters (2.4 inches) long. The front teeth were fangs, and the back teeth had multiple points, most with five cusps.2

?When did Eudimorphodon live?

Eudimorphodon lived during the Late Triassic, about 219 to 215 million years ago. It is one of the oldest known pterosaurs.2

?Where was Eudimorphodon found?

The first Eudimorphodon fossil was discovered in 1973 in Cene, Italy. Fossils have also been found in Greenland and possibly in Texas.2

?Is Eudimorphodon a dinosaur?

No, Eudimorphodon is a pterosaur, a flying reptile that is not a dinosaur. Pterosaurs are a separate group of reptiles that lived at the same time as dinosaurs.2

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For dino experts

Scientific name: Eudimorphodon
Named by: Zambelli 19733
Group: Flying reptiles
Family / clade: Campylognathoididae3
Classification: Pterosauria3
Age of the rocks: 227 to 201 million years (Norian / Rhaetian)3
Rock formations: Dolomia di Forni, Klettgau, Zorzino Limestone3
Countries: Italy, Switzerland, Luxembourg, France3
Fossil records: 13 in the Paleobiology Database3
Discovery: Eudimorphodon was discovered in 1973 by Mario Pandolfi in Cene, Italy. It was named the same year by Rocco Zambelli, who called the type species Eudimorphodon ranzii after Professor Silvio Ranzi.1 3
Still debated: Scientists are not sure where pterosaurs like Eudimorphodon fit in the reptile family tree. Some think they are close to dinosaurs, while others suggest different relatives.1

Where the facts come from

Eudimorphodon (en.wikipedia.org)
Eudimorphodon (en.wikipedia.org)
Eudimorphodon in The Paleobiology Database (CC BY 4.0): age, places, rock formations, classification.

Every fact on this page has a number that points to its source. If we got something wrong, sorry, we are dino fans, not a science journal. Tell us at [email protected] and we will fix it.

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