Campylognathoides - Paleobiology

Paleobiology

Traditionally a piscivore lifestyle is attributed to Campylognathoides, as to most pterosaurs; in this case supported by the provenance of the finds from marine sediments and the very long wings. Padian however, has suggested that, in view of the stout short teeth, ideal for delivering a piercing bite, the form might well have been a predator of small terrestrial animals instead. The niche of specialised fish eater would then have been filled by Dorygnathus which is five times as common in the layers. The area of the fossil sites was in the early Jurassic located to the northwest of a large island, the Massif of Bohemia, situated in a shallow gulf of the Tethys Sea.