UPSC Exam  >  UPSC Questions  >  The “Pterosaurs”, recently seen i... Start Learning for Free
The “Pterosaurs”, recently seen in the news, refers to:
  • a)
    They were the first vertebrates capable of flight
  • b)
    They are closely related to birds
  • c)
    They were the first mammals to fly
  • d)
    They are closely related to bats
Correct answer is option 'A'. Can you explain this answer?
Verified Answer
The “Pterosaurs”, recently seen in the news, refers to:a)T...
Paleontologists recently discovered a new species of pterosaur after analysing 100-million-year-old fossilised bones uncovered in western Queensland, Australia.
About Pterosaur:
  • A pterosaur is any of the flying reptiles that flourished during all periods (Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous) of the Mesozoic Era (252.2 million to 66 million years ago). 
  • Although pterosaurs are not dinosaursboth are archosaurs, or “ruling reptiles,” a group to which birds and crocodiles also belong. 
  • Pterosaurs were not only the first reptiles capable of flight. They were also the first vertebrates to fly.
  • It included the largest vertebrate ever known to fly: the late Cretaceous Quetzalcoatlus.
  • The appearance of flight in pterosaurs was separate from the evolution of flight in birds and bats; pterosaurs are not closely related to either birds or bats and thus provide a classic example of convergent evolution.
  • Their wings were formed by a sophisticated membrane of skin stretching from the thorax to a dramatically lengthened fourth finger.
  • Earlier species had long, fully-toothed jaws and long tails, while later forms had a highly reduced tail and some lacked teeth.
  • They often had long necks, which sometimes had throat pouches similar to pelicans' for catching fish.
  • The pterosaurs went extinct at the end of the Cretaceous period, around 65.5 million years ago, during the mass extinction known as the Cretaceous-Tertiary extinction event (K-T extinction event).
  • When the pterosaurs disappeared, their role as the dominate vertebrates in the skies was taken over by the birds, which are considered to be of dinosaur ancestry.
Hence option a is the correct answer.
View all questions of this test
Explore Courses for UPSC exam

Top Courses for UPSC

The “Pterosaurs”, recently seen in the news, refers to:a)They were the first vertebrates capable of flightb)They are closely related to birdsc)They were the first mammals to flyd)They are closely related to batsCorrect answer is option 'A'. Can you explain this answer?
Question Description
The “Pterosaurs”, recently seen in the news, refers to:a)They were the first vertebrates capable of flightb)They are closely related to birdsc)They were the first mammals to flyd)They are closely related to batsCorrect answer is option 'A'. Can you explain this answer? for UPSC 2025 is part of UPSC preparation. The Question and answers have been prepared according to the UPSC exam syllabus. Information about The “Pterosaurs”, recently seen in the news, refers to:a)They were the first vertebrates capable of flightb)They are closely related to birdsc)They were the first mammals to flyd)They are closely related to batsCorrect answer is option 'A'. Can you explain this answer? covers all topics & solutions for UPSC 2025 Exam. Find important definitions, questions, meanings, examples, exercises and tests below for The “Pterosaurs”, recently seen in the news, refers to:a)They were the first vertebrates capable of flightb)They are closely related to birdsc)They were the first mammals to flyd)They are closely related to batsCorrect answer is option 'A'. Can you explain this answer?.
Solutions for The “Pterosaurs”, recently seen in the news, refers to:a)They were the first vertebrates capable of flightb)They are closely related to birdsc)They were the first mammals to flyd)They are closely related to batsCorrect answer is option 'A'. Can you explain this answer? in English & in Hindi are available as part of our courses for UPSC. Download more important topics, notes, lectures and mock test series for UPSC Exam by signing up for free.
Here you can find the meaning of The “Pterosaurs”, recently seen in the news, refers to:a)They were the first vertebrates capable of flightb)They are closely related to birdsc)They were the first mammals to flyd)They are closely related to batsCorrect answer is option 'A'. Can you explain this answer? defined & explained in the simplest way possible. Besides giving the explanation of The “Pterosaurs”, recently seen in the news, refers to:a)They were the first vertebrates capable of flightb)They are closely related to birdsc)They were the first mammals to flyd)They are closely related to batsCorrect answer is option 'A'. Can you explain this answer?, a detailed solution for The “Pterosaurs”, recently seen in the news, refers to:a)They were the first vertebrates capable of flightb)They are closely related to birdsc)They were the first mammals to flyd)They are closely related to batsCorrect answer is option 'A'. Can you explain this answer? has been provided alongside types of The “Pterosaurs”, recently seen in the news, refers to:a)They were the first vertebrates capable of flightb)They are closely related to birdsc)They were the first mammals to flyd)They are closely related to batsCorrect answer is option 'A'. Can you explain this answer? theory, EduRev gives you an ample number of questions to practice The “Pterosaurs”, recently seen in the news, refers to:a)They were the first vertebrates capable of flightb)They are closely related to birdsc)They were the first mammals to flyd)They are closely related to batsCorrect answer is option 'A'. Can you explain this answer? tests, examples and also practice UPSC tests.
Explore Courses for UPSC exam

Top Courses for UPSC

Explore Courses
Signup for Free!
Signup to see your scores go up within 7 days! Learn & Practice with 1000+ FREE Notes, Videos & Tests.
10M+ students study on EduRev