(Though the American Museum of Natural History‘s Pterosaurs: Flight in the Age of Dinosaurs exhibit closed a few weeks ago, those of us who missed it can learn about these fascinating animals with the associated app (2014).)

The first section, “What Is a Pterosaur?,” introduces this prehistoric creature, which lived for 150 million years, going extinct about 66 million years ago. Related to both birds and dinosaurs, the flying reptiles were the first vertebrates to develop flight and have “no modern analogue.” (One of many reasons pterosaurs were unique: though their wings look similar to bats’ on the surface, only one digit — a very long fourth finger — supported their membranous wings. In bats, four of their five fingers spread across the membrane to support it.) Thus far, pterosaurs are not well-represented in the fossil record, with only a small number of species discovered, and mostly coming from regions with similar types of habitats. This first section also covers some of pterosaurs’ adaptations to flight: hollow bones that were light but strong, powerful hind limbs for launching into flight, airfoil-shaped wings which maximized lift.Five additional sections highlight various species of pterosaurs: “Big Head, Long Tail: Dimorphodon“ “Covered in Fuzz: Jeholopterus“ “Extreme Size: Pteranodon“ “Dramatic Display: Tupuxuara“ “Tons of Teeth: Pterodaustro“

Each section opens with the featured pterosaur’s scientific name with its pronunciation and meaning; its era, region, wingspan, and diet; plus a simulation of its flight and a graphic showing its relative size to humans or modern-day birds. Subsequent pages in each section relate the story of the species’ discovery (often including a diagram or photo of the first discovered fossil in situ) and give an in-depth look at one of its characteristic features, such as how Dimorphodon‘s long tail may have helped it balance on the ground and in flight. Other pterosaur species with similar features are introduced as well.Integrated into the sections are many well-chosen and high-quality images (dynamic illustrations, diagrams, and photos of fossils and dig sites), videos, animations, and maps.http://www.hbook.com/2015/02/choosing-books/app-review-of-the-week/pterosaurs-flight-age-dinosaurs-app-review/#_

Only one family of pterosaurs, Azhdarchidae, was definitely present in the Maastrichtian, and it became extinct at the K–T boundary. These large pterosaurs were the last representatives of a declining group that contained 10 families during the mid-Cretaceous. Smaller pterosaurs became extinct prior to the Maastrichtian during a period that saw a decline in smaller animal species while larger species became more prevalent. While this was occurring, modern birds were undergoing diversification and replacing archaic birds and pterosaur groups, possibly due to direct competition, or they simply filled empty niches.[38][54][55]

http://www.nihongo.com/aaa/jewelry/j5inseki/Cretaceous-Tertiaryextinction.html#Terrestrial_p lants

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Archaeamphora_longicervia.png

Archaeamphora longicervia is an extinct species of flowering plant and theonly member of the genus Archaeamphora. Fossil material assigned to thistaxon originates from the Yixian Formation of northeastern China, dated to theEarly Cretaceous (around 145 to 101 million years ago).[1]

https://evolution-institute.org/article/fossil-flower-reveals-ancient-history-of-tulip-tree/

Archaeanthus showed morphology very close to that of Magnoliaceae, but specific features were much more similar to the tulip trees than to the magnolias. Both Archaeanthus and the Liriodendroidae group have fruits of similar size, longer beaks within fruitlets, and had similar seed dispersal modes, among other similarities. The scientists concluded that Archaeanthus was probably a species among the tulip tree lineage – which suggests something even more interesting: Liriodendroidae and Magnolioideae diverged before Archaeanthus came about – much earlier than paleontologists had estimated.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Archaefructus_liaoningensis.jpg

Archaefructus is an extinct genus of herbaceous aquatic seed plants with 3 known species. Fossil material assigned to this genus originates from the Yixian Formation in northeastern China, originally dated as late Jurassic but now thought to be approximately 125 million years old, or early Cretaceous in age. Even with its revised age, Archaefructus has been proposed to be one of the earliest known genera of flowering plants.