A diminutive pterosaur from the uppermost Maastrichtian chalk of Denmark

A diminutive pterosaur, represented by a fragment of its finger bone, has been discovered in the uppermost Maastrichtian chalk at Stevns Klint, a UNESCO World Heritage site in Denmark. This finding marks the first record of a pterosaur from the chalk of Denmark and challenges previous hypotheses about Late Cretaceous niche partitioning between pterosaurs and birds. The specimen, identified as a proximal phalanx 1 of digit IV, indicates that small-bodied pterosaurs with wingspans under 50 cm persisted until the final 50,000–60,000 years of the Cretaceous period. Researchers compared the fragment to similar elements to determine its size and morphology, providing new insights into the evolutionary dynamics of these prehistoric creatures during a critical period of ecological transition.

Milàn, J., Jakobsen, S. L., & Kramer Lindow, B. E. (2025). A diminutive pterosaur from the uppermost Maastrichtian chalk of Denmark. Acta Palaeontologica Polonica, 70(4), 723–730. https://doi.org/10.4202/app.01252.2025