Researchers from the **University of Leicester** have discovered **fossil footprints** dating back over 160 million years, demonstrating that some **pterosaurs**, the large flying reptiles of the Mesozoic era, were also capable of **moving on land**.
The study, published in **Current Biology**, used **3D models and comparisons with skeletons** to link the footprints to different types of pterosaurs.
Three types of footprints and their ecological significance
Scientists identified **three different types of footprints**, providing data on the **lifestyles** and **adaptations** of these animals:
- Neoazhdarchians: Including **Quetzalcoatlus**, one of the largest flying animals in history with a **wingspan of 10 meters**. Their footprints were found in **coastal and inland areas**, indicating that these reptiles also inhabited the land.
- Ctenochasmatoids: Pterosaurs with **long jaws and sharp teeth**, whose footprints appear in **coastal deposits**, suggesting they hunted in **muddy shores and lagoons**.
- Dsungaripterids: Had robust limbs and jaws designed to **crush shellfish**. Their footprints were found in **the same rock layers preserving their fossils**, confirming their direct relationship.
An evolutionary shift in the middle of the Dinosaur Era
This discovery supports the theory that around **160 million years ago**, several groups of pterosaurs **became more terrestrial**, changing their behavior and adapting to **new ecosystems**.
The study **redefines our understanding** of how these reptiles interacted with their environment and **how their survival strategies evolved**.
Footprints: a new source of paleontological information
For decades, studies on pterosaurs were mainly based on bone fossils. However, fossil footprints provide **unique data on the locomotion, behavior, and ecology** of these creatures.
Thanks to this analysis, scientists can now **more accurately study how pterosaurs lived in their natural habitats**, including **up to the impact of the asteroid** that led to their extinction **66 million years ago**.
