n.
Genus of extinct flying reptiles , descendants of the pterodactyl .
Fossils are known from Late Cretaceous (9965 million years ago) deposits of Europe, Asia, and North America. Pteranodon had a wingspan of 23 ft (7 m) or more. The largest specimen had a wingspan of 50 ft (15.5 m). The body was about the size of a modern turkey. Pteranodon had a crest at the back of the skull and long, pelicanlike, toothless jaws. They probably made nests and spent much time gliding over the ocean searching for fish. They probably depended on air currents for liftoff rather than on flapping their wings.