Leonard's Familiar Spirit

Tupuxuara leonardii

(Kellner & Campos, 1988)

    A soaring fish-eater like Pteranodon, Tupuxuara leonardii takes this north-american pterosaur's cranial ornamentation to an even greater extent.  While Pteranodon sport simple crests sweeping from the back of their heads, male T. leonardii advertise their presence by immense crests, making their heads fully as long as their torso (though much less massive).  Female T. leonardii share the male's large heads, but their crests do not extend so far back, and have a more rounded shape.

Other sites containing pertinent information:

• The Pterosaur Homepage's Tupuxuara page.  (with a great deal of information and a skeletal reconstruction)
• T. Mike Keesey's Tupuxuara page.  (some information, and a photograph of a complete female skeleton)
• Dino-Nakasato's Tupuxuara, Anhanguera, Tapejara
• David Krentz's Tupuxuara sculpture