2007-11-04 22:06:20 · 10 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Zoology
Pterosaurs are sometimes referred to in the popular media as dinosaurs, but this is incorrect. The term "dinosaur" is properly restricted to a certain group of terrestrial reptiles with a unique upright stance (superorder Dinosauria), and therefore excludes the pterosaurs, as well as the various groups of extinct aquatic reptiles, such as ichthyosaurs, plesiosaurs, and mosasaurs.
2007-11-04 22:44:39 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 4⤊ 0⤋
Dinosaurs are no longer considered as reptiles. Some biologists consider them to be primitive birds (and so birds are dinosaurs). Other biologists and paleontologists, (including Robert Bakker) consider dinosaurs to be simply something else, different from reptiles and birds but which gave origin to birds. Anyway, all dinosaurs are terrestrial, so pterodactyls can't be dinosaurs because they were able to fly, and plesiosaurs and ichthyosaurs aren't dinosaurs either because they were marine.
2007-11-05 12:26:40 · answer #2 · answered by Lara Croft 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Well, cats are mammals, and bats are flying mammals, but bats aren't considered cats.
Dinosaurs and pterodactyls are two separate groups of reptiles. They are related, but they are not in the same sub-group. There are certain skeletal features which are common to dinosaurs which are not shared by pterodactyls.
2007-11-04 22:27:00 · answer #3 · answered by Daniel R 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Pterodactyls are not considered dinosaurs because they lack the same structures as other members of the Dinosaurians. The same thing applies for Ictyosaurs, Plesiosaurs and other aquatic and aerial beasts of their days.
2007-11-04 23:24:27 · answer #4 · answered by Cocoa 1 · 3⤊ 0⤋
For a start dinosaurs were NOT reptiles they were saurians.
Reptiles are cold blooded, current research seems to indicate that saurians were warm blooded. The only saurian-like creature that still exists is the Tatura of New Zealand.
2007-11-05 00:49:12 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋
Last I heard, neither one were considered to be reptiles any longer.
2007-11-05 03:04:00 · answer #6 · answered by tiger b 5 · 1⤊ 2⤋
A square is also a rectangle.
A rectangle is also a quadrilateral
But a quadrilateral is not necessarily, rectangular or square.
I am human, but not all humans are me.
Are you getting it yet.
2007-11-04 22:10:17 · answer #7 · answered by mark 7 · 0⤊ 2⤋
That's Tuatara, not "Tatura."
2007-11-05 00:53:40 · answer #8 · answered by GeoffG 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
They are dinosaurs.
2007-11-04 22:17:48 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 3⤋
Yes they are.
2007-11-04 22:09:12 · answer #10 · answered by Kimon 7 · 0⤊ 4⤋