Flying Dinosaur Featured At Carnegie Museum of Natural History

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - Pterosaurs cast a shadow on the earth, as they soared above the dinosaurs of eons past. These extraordinary creatures are the stars of a new exhibit at Carnegie Museum of Natural History. Specimens from archaeological digs are supplemented with models and videos of those otherworldly creatures.

They're often called flying dinosaurs. But pterosaur expert Michael Habib says that's not quite true.

"They were related to dinosaurs, but not dinosaurs themselves. They existed throughout the Mesozoic, the Age of Dinosaurs," said Habib.

They weren't related to birds, either, although those reptiles did use flight to their advantage. Some skimmed just above the ocean waves, diving for fish.

Join The Conversation On The KDKA Facebook Page
Stay Up To Date, Follow KDKA On Twitter

The largest known pterosaur was more than 30 feet long. But Dr. Habib says, "A 500 pound pterosaur is obviously in great danger from a five ton tyrannosaur. They would use flight to escape."

But what if these creatures were still with us?

"We probably wouldn't be in a large amount of danger, though a small child might be on the menu," Dr. Habib says.

"I imagine something small like your dog might have the most to fear, I think."

It's best to view them from a distance of, say, 65 million years.