The Ornithocheirus (the biggest animal that flew)

Ornithocheirus (Greek ορνις (ornis), "bird" and χειρ (cheir), "hand") is a genus of pterosaurs pterodactiloideos Ornithocheiridae family. It was a large pterosaur from South America and Europe who lived in the Cretaceous Inferior.Based on fossil remains scarce, gender has caused lasting problems of zoological nomenclature.

 The original material Ornithocheirus simus recovered from England, indicating a medium-sized species with a wingspan of 2.5 meters. Referred specimens attributed to Ornithocheirus simus (alternatively called Criorhynchus simus) can reach 5 meters. Tropeognathus mesembrinus is also usually considered part of the genus as O. Ornithocheirus mesembrinus, and stood about 6 feet envergadura.

Both O. simus and O. mesembrinus have distinctive ridges convex shaped keel on its upper peaks hocicos leave from the tip of the snout and extend into the nasal cavity. An additional minor peak was projected downward from the lower jaw at the symphysis (the area of ​​"chin") .Although many ornitoqueíridos had a bony ridge projecting rounded on their snouts, this was particularly large and well developed in Ornithocheirus.

Unlike their relatives and Coloborhynchus Anhanguera, which had a rosette of teeth on the tip of its jaws, straight jaws Ornithocheirus had narrowed toward the tip. Unlike other related pterosaurs, Ornithocheirus teeth were almost vertical, instead of being in an open angle. It also had fewer teeth than its other parientes.

The type specimen of simus Ornithocheirus is represented only by a broken piece of the tip of the upper jaw. Although this preserves Ornithocheirus several characteristic features, is almost identical to bone or comparable. mesembrinus, making a clear distinction between these two species is imposible.