Nyctosaurus was a pterosaur, a type of flying reptile. It was not a dinosaur, though it lived during the same period. Nyctosaurus lived during the Late Cretaceous and resided in North America and South America. The first Nyctosaurus fossil was discovered in 1876.

Quick facts about Nyctosaurus:

  • Existed from Coniacian Age to Maastrichtian Age
  • Lived in a marine environment
  • Was a piscivore
  • Could fly
  • 9 different specimens have been found by paleontologists

All the Nyctosaurus illustrations below were collected from the internet. Enjoy and explore:

Nyctosaurus was described by the following scientific paper(s):
  • O. C. Marsh. 1876. Notice of a new sub-order of Pterosauria. American Journal of Science 11:507-509
  • E. D. Cope. 1872. On two new ornithosaurians from Kansas. Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society 12:420-422
  • O. C. Marsh. 1881. Note on American pterodactyls. American Journal of Science 31:342-343