1.48" Fossil Ornithocheirid Pterosaur Tooth - Niger

Ornithocheirids were a group of pterosaurs found around the world in the Late Cretaceous, considered to be among the last to have teeth. Though they are perhaps the most extensively researched group of pterosaurs, taxonomically they are a bit confusing: they have been classified and reclassified again and again by major researchers since Richard Owen discovered the first ornithocheirid fossil in 1861. They are likely related to pterosaur groups such as istiodactylids and pteranodontians, but the exact relationships are not known. However, due to similar flight habits and diets, they are likely ancestors to pteranodontians.

Ornithocheirid fossils typically have long, slender skulls full of teeth with sagittal crests, and forelimbs up to five times longer than their hindlimbs: some had wingspans of up to 9 meters, or just shy of 30 feet. Their fingers alone accounted for over 60 percent of their wing lengths. Before massive azhdarchids like Quetzalcoatlus evolved, ornithocheirids were by far the largest pterosaurs. Their feet, however, are small compared to the rest of their bodies, indicating they may not have sued them often.

Ornithocheirids' morphology indicates that they had flight patterns looked much like modern albatrosses: they spent much of their time in a state of dynamic soaring, using vertical wind speed gradients to travel long distances without flapping. They were piscivores, snatching up fish in their long jaws during these long, soaring flights.

The Elrhaz formation is an Early Cretaceous fossil formation dating 112-125 million years ago in the Tenere Desert of northeastern Niger. It is mainly known to paleontologists for the Gadoufaoua site, a large fossil deposition painting a picture of the ecology of a wet, green, riverine environment.

The dinosaurs that called this region home include the sail-backed hadrosauriform Ouranosaurus, an herbivore which reached about 28 feet and 2 tons. Nigersaurus, a mid-sized sauropod with a horizontal mouth arranged with dozens of peg-like mowing teeth, would have grazed upon the bounty of greenery in herds that trailed across the landscape. In turn, these large herbivores were hunted by equally large predators.

Eocarcharia was a smaller sized African Carcharodontosaurid, only 20-25 feet long compared to its larger, 40-foot cousins like Giganotosaurus and Carcharodontosaurus. Still, Carcharodontosaurids were formidable predators, hunting with laterally compressed, highly effective cutting teeth. Alongside them were the slightly smaller abelisaurid predator Kryptops. Reaching about 20-23 feet, Kryptops likely used hit and run tactics to wear out prey animals, as opposed to the withering bites delivered by the larger Eocarcharia.

By far the largest predator in the formation, however, was the spinosaurid theropod Suchomimus. Meaning "Crocodile Mimic" for its superficially crocodilian appearance, Suchomimus cleared its competitors' size by a good 10 feet, usually in the realm of 30-35 feet in length and weighing 4 tons. Suchomimus was likely more of a generalist than its spinosaurid cousins. Its body was more suited to wading than to diving. Meanwhile, its size likely made it more than capable of preying on both fish in shallow water and any unfortunate small to mid-sized dinosaurs it may come across.

Notable non-dinosaur fauna from the formation include the super sized Sarcosuchus, a huge crocodylomorph that reached lengths exceeding 30 feet. Other crocodile relatives include the ratlike Araripesuchus, and the broad duck-snouted Anatosuchus. Several fishes called the region their home as well, such as the massive 10- to 15-foot long coelacanth species Mawsonia, and the shark Hybodus.