Critter of the Day, 5/9/09: Nyctosaurus

Gracing my page with its wonderfully odd crest today is Nyctosaurus, a pterosaur closely related to the more famous Pteranodon. Even though it was named by O. C. Marsh way back in 1876, it was not recognized as posessing its large crest until quite recently. The function of the crest is unknown, but it may have been used either for display or steering. This flying reptile lived at the very end of the Cretaceous, 65 million years ago, throughout the Western Interior Seaway which ran through North America.