Easily recognized thanks to its unique appearance, Tapejara is a genus of Pterosaur native to Brazil with a brightly colored crest on top of its head that could grow up to a meter in length, helping it to attract mates. Its wingspan of around 4m makes it one of the smaller Pterosaurs, while the name Tapejara translates to 'old being'.
Discovery
Information regarding the history of Tapejara is limited, as only one confirmed specimen has been recovered thus far. The genus was first classified in 1989 by Alexander Kellner, and in the following years further fossils were unearthed that were initially classified as Tapejara – however, these bones were subsequently found to be new genera, named Tupandactylus.
Paleoecology
Tapejara existed approximately 110m years ago during the Early Cretaceous period, flying across the skies of Brazil and diving down into the water to grab fish – although some paleontologists believe it may also have fed on fruit, or even the carcasses of dead animals.
