Pterosaurs undergo dental examination to reveal clues about diets and lifestyles

Microscopic analysis of the teeth of pterosaurs has revealed new insights into the diets and behaviours of Earth's earliest flying reptiles. Researchers at the University of Leicester's Centre for Palaeobiology Research and the University of Birmingham used dental microwear analysis to look at the wear patterns still visible on the teeth of 17 different species of pterosaur. They compared these with similar patterns on the teeth of modern reptiles, including monitor lizards and crocodilians, where much more is known about their diet. The team was able to show for the first time how the technique can be used to not only tell us what these animals ate, but also to challenge ideas about their lifestyles and evolution. Their results are published. "Most existing ideas about what pterosaurs ate come from comparisons of the shapes of their teeth with those of living animals,' explains lead author Dr Jordan Bestwick, of the University of Birmingham's School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences. "For example, if the animal had conical teeth like a crocodile, we might assume it ate fish.