History Main / PteroSoarer

* ''Literature/JourneyToTheCenterOfTheEarth'': One of the movie adaptations has pterodactyls that represent everything that is wrong with cultural perception of pterosaurs. Then again, the movie is really just horrible.

->''"For most of us, 'pterodactyls' are imagined as [[PrehistoricMonster large, vicious and ugly gargoyles with lanky limbs, leathery wings and jaws lined with savage teeth]], the sort of disreputable brutes we find in Arthur Conan Doyle's ''[[Literature/TheLostWorld1912 The Lost World]]'', the ''Franchise/JurassicPark'' franchise – even a recent episode of ''Franchise/DoctorWho''. Such works suggest we should think ourselves lucky that these flying reptiles – some of which measured 10 metres across the wings and stood as tall as giraffes – were confined to [[OneMillionBC landscapes populated by equally terrible dinosaurs, marine reptiles and turbulent volcanoes during a time known as the Mesozoic era (250m-65m years ago)]] and that they aren't alive today to menace mankind. Of course, the popular understanding of these fossil animals and their world is only a distant echo of reality, a construct of poor scientific communication, melodramatic media and romantic storytellers."''

** The ''Pteranodon'' has teeth, scales, bat-like wings, and the ability to pick up humans ([[RuleOfFun a technique used by riders to harass enemies]]). They're also identical in genders (real females are smaller and don't have crests; then again all the other animals in-game have identical sexes).

* ''Manga/{{Doraemon}}: Nobita's Dinosaur'': The 2006 remake features ''Pteranodon'' that can walk on their hind legs and ''Quetzalcoatlus'' that hunt in flocks. On the other wing, the ''Pteranodon'' were shown [[ShownTheirWork diving for food like pelicans or gannets]].

** In ''Film/JurassicWorld'', the ''Pteranodon'' (which are toothless this time, thankfully) are not only still portrayed as DeathFromAbove, but also joined by a different pterosaur: ''Dimorphodon''. The ''Dimorphodon'' themselves, however, are depicted as aerial predators (the real life ''Dimorphodon'' was a harmless insectivore/hunter of small animals), and physically resemble emaciated bat-wyvern creatures with toothy jaws instead of beaks, although they are at least portrayed with (barely visible) pycnofibres in contrast to the once again naked ''Pteranodons''. Interestingly, this film is probably the first pop culture work[[note]]aside from ''Doraemon: Nobita's Dinosaur 2006'' mentioned above [[/note]] to depict ''Pteranodon'' plunge-diving for food like pelicans or gannets, [[ShownTheirWork something they likely did in real life]], and it also remembers their sexual dimorphism (having short, stumpy crests when female). The ''Pteranodons'' that show up in the prologue of ''Film/JurassicWorldDominion'' inexplicably use the same models as this movie, but one is shown diving into the water, showing that this behavior was not limited to the modern-day hybrids from ''Jurassic World'' proper.

* ''Franchise/JurassicPark'': The sequels famously depict ''Pteranodon longiceps'' as the token non-dinosaur prehistoric thing; of the two varieties, none is accurate. The first, which appears in ''Film/TheLostWorldJurassicPark'', is exactly like the ''Pteranodon'' of the seventies; leathery-winged, bird-necked, can perch on trees. The second in ''Film/JurassicParkIII'' looks slightly more like a real pterosaur, but it is now naked, its wings also seem leathery, and it has freaking teeth ("Pteranodon" [[MeaningfulName means]] '''toothless wing''') and again grasping feet. Possibly justified as they could be mutants, like other cloned prehistoric reptiles in the movies; it has since been canonically established that the many of the animals that appear in the ''Franchise/JurassicPark'' films are just man-made abominations that barely resemble their RealLife counterparts.

** This is played straight, to various degrees, in the spinoff video-games too. In episode 2 of Telltale's ''VideoGame/JurassicParkTheGame'', a ''Pteranodon'' (based on JPIII's version, down to having teeth) attacks a rescue helicopter for no apparent reason. Perhaps it just unintentionally bumped the chopper while chasing a flock of birds, but that in itself is another mistake: ''Pteranodon''s were fish-eaters, and probably wouldn't be too interested in birds. Azhdarchids, on the other hand, may have hunted terrestrial prey, but mostly ground-dwelling animals like small reptiles, mammals, and maybe dinosaur hatchlings.
** In ''Film/JurassicWorld'', the ''Pteranodon'' (which are toothless this time, thankfully) are not only still portrayed as DeathFromAbove, but also joined by a different pterosaur: ''Dimorphodon''. The ''Dimorphodon'' themselves, however, are depicted as aerial predators (the real life ''Dimorphodon'' was a harmless insectivore/hunter of small animals), and physically resemble emaciated bat-wyvern creatures with toothy jaws instead of beaks, although they are at least portrayed with (barely visible) pycnofibres in contrast to the once again naked ''Pteranodons''. Interestingly, this film is probably the first pop culture work[[note]]aside from ''Doraemon: Nobita's Dinosaur 2006'' mentioned above [[/note]] to depict ''Pteranodon'' plunge-diving for food like pelicans or gannets, [[ShownTheirWork something they likely did in real life]], and it also remembers their sexual dimorphism (having short, stumpy crests when female).

** ''Gloriously'' '''''{{Defied|Trope}}''''' by the ''Quetzalcoatlus'' in ''Film/JurassicWorldDominion'', with the ones in the prologue being depicted as terrestrial, quadrupedal macro-predators with pycnofibres. Fittingly, the prologue actually takes place during the Cretaceous, so the pterosaurs shown here are not theme park hybrids, but the genuine article. Played straight with the ''Pteranodons'' that show up in the same scene, who inexplicably use the same models as ''Jurassic World'' proper.

->''"If dinosaurs are badly portrayed in movies, then pterosaurs have an even worse time!"''
-->-- '''Creator/DougalDixon'''

In prehistory, EverythingsBetterWithDinosaurs.

Of course, nothing adds to a prehistoric atmosphere like tossing in some of these flying reptiles. However, it's a good idea to take most depictions of pterosaurs [[ArtisticLicenseBiology with a grain of salt]]. Most media will ratchet them up to being eagles or bats on crack, [[KidnappingBirdOfPrey snatching prey (like tasty humans)]] and being far more agile than they were in real life. As in the case of most other prehistoric animals, RuleOfCool very much applies here.

* ''Anime/InazumaEleven GO: Chrono Stone'': Averted with flying colors with Torb's... "father", Tochan. He's a very, ''very'' accurate ''Quetzalcoatlus'', having the right proportions, size and anatomical features (including wings supported by one finger, pteroid bone, plantigrade/non-grasping feet, etc.). The only major inaccuracies seem to be his pointy wingtips, his apparent lack of fuzz (though that may just be the art style) and mild shrinkwrapping (his temporal fenestra is faintly visible). Also, he can somehow play soccer, but that's an {{Acceptable Break|s From Reality}}.

* There's a pervasive misconception that pterosaurs went extinct or at least declined significantly due to competition with birds ([[ScienceMarchesOn this is more often found in older works]], but still pops up often enough to be annoying). Historically, this notion has been based on the perception that pterosaurs appeared to have gone into decline around the same time birds diversified in the fossil record, but newer research suggests this phenomenon was far less dramatic than initially thought and probably had nothing to do with avialan radiation. In fact at least one group of pterosaurs, the stork-like azhdarchids, were still doing just fine right up to the K-Pg boundary and were continuing to evolve and diversify at a healthy rate straight to the end of the Maastrichtian. Possible Maastrichtian remains of nyctosaurids, tapejarids, and pteranodontids may even suggest that a decline in pterosaur diversity never actually happened at all, simply being an artifact of preservation bias. There's even a few evidenced cases of pterosaurs ''taking back'' niches which had previously been occupied by birds. Much like their non-avian dinosaur cousins, it's not unreasonable to speculate that pterosaurs would still be around today if not for the asteroid.

Of course, nothing adds to a prehistoric atmosphere like tossing in some of these flying reptiles. However, it's a good idea to take most depictions of pterosaurs [[ArtisticLicenseBiology with a grain of salt]]. Most media will ratchet them up to being eagles or bats on crack, [[KidnappingBirdOfPrey snatching prey (like tasty humans)]] and being far more agile than they were in real life. Keep in mind that as in the case of most other prehistoric animals, RuleOfCool very much applies here.

* Designing the pterosaurs with bat-like wings rather than anatomically correct pterosaur ones. This ranges from having leathery wings made of nothing but skin to having the whole wing membrane being supported by all the fingers. In reality, pterosaur wings were made of tougher, more complicated materials and were supported by one finger. They should also attach at the ankle or at the lower leg, not at the hip, and they should be rounded and smooth, not pointed or angular.

* One of the titular characters in oneshot ''Cameron and his Dinosaurs'' is Dee Dee, who is referred to as a pterodactyl is as generic they come, having a long tail with and arrow-like tip, perches like a bird and [inconsistantly] has teeth depending on the panel. She's also [[VegitarianCarnivore a plant-eater]]; even though some pterosaurs did eat plant matter, from looks alone she seems to be more suited to piscivory with her slender and point beak, unlike the deep strong bills actual plant-eating species had (like Tapejarids).

** In ''WesternAnimation/TheIceAgeAdventuresOfBuckWild'', Buck has a new flying mount in a Ludodactylus-like "pterodactyl" that he named Penelope. Penelope looks more accurate than the pterosaurs seen in ''Dawn of the Dinosaurs'', even possessing pycnofibres on the back of her head, but she's nonetheless stereotypical.

* One of the titular characters in oneshot ''Cameron and his Dinosaurs'' is Dee Dee, who is referred toas a pterodactyl is as generic they come, having a tail, perches like a bird and [inconsistantly] has teeth depending on the panel. She's also [[VegitarianCarnivore a plant-eater]]; even though some pterosaurs did eat plant matter, from looks alone she seems to be more suited to piscivory with her slender and point beak, unlike the deep strong bills actual plant-eating species had (like Tapejarids).

* [https://vimeo.com/515268727 An advertisement for Russian telecom company Beeline]] has a "pterodactyl" hoist a man into the air with its feet and carry him to its nest, wherein he ends up [[spoiler:watching dinosaur cartoons with the babies on his portable media player]]. While the adult pterosaur is naked and bird footed, she also [[ShownTheirWork has long, rounded wings with pteroid bones on them and concept art shows that the babies have visible pycnofibres and are quadrupeds]]. Interestingly, the pterosaurs themselves look vaguely similar to a generic ctenochasmatoid, the kind of pterosaur ''Pterodactylus'' was. The pterosaurs are also shown nesting on a snowy mountaintop. Meaning that they ''must'' be warm-blooded [[ShownTheirWork (as real pterosaurs were)]] because they wouldn't be able to survive the cold if they weren't.

* [[https://vimeo.com/69161796 This Beeline advertisement]] has a "pterodactyl" hoist a man into the air with its feet and carry him to its nest, wherein he ends up [[spoiler:watching dinosaur cartoons with the babies on his portable media player]]. While the adult pterosaur is naked and bird footed, she also [[ShownTheirWork has long, rounded wings with pteroid bones on them and concept art shows that the babies have visible pycnofibres and are quadrupeds]]. Interestingly, the pterosaurs themselves look vaguely similar to a generic ctenochasmatoid, the kind of pterosaur ''Pterodactylus'' was. The pterosaurs are also shown nesting on a snowy mountaintop. Meaning that they ''must'' be warm-blooded [[ShownTheirWork (as real pterosaurs were)]] because they wouldn't be able to survive the cold if they weren't.

[[folder: Advertisements]]

** Subverted; a PTA meeting gets attacked by what TheNarrator identifies as pteranodons/flying dinosaurs. Later, however, he issues this correction:

Of course, nothing adds to a prehistoric atmosphere like tossing in some of these flying reptiles. However, it's a good ideaf to take most depictions of pterosaurs [[ArtisticLicenseBiology with a grain of salt]]. Most media will ratchet them up to being eagles or bats on crack, [[KidnappingBirdOfPrey snatching prey (like tasty humans)]] and being far more agile than they were in real life. Keep in mind that as in the case of most other prehistoric animals, RuleOfCool very much applies here.

Of course, nothing adds to a prehistoric atmosphere like tossing in some of these flying reptiles. However, it's a good idea to take most depictions of pterosaurs [[ArtisticLicenseBiology with a grain of salt]]. Most media will ratchet them up to being eagles or bats on crack, [[KidnappingBirdOfPrey snatching prey (like tasty humans)]] and being far more agile than they were in real life. Keep in mind that as in the case of most other prehistoric animals, RuleOfCool very much applies here.

* The ''Franchise/JurassicPark'' toyline has had pterosaurs (mostly ''Pteranodons'', but there's a ''Quetzalcoatlus'' and a ''Tapejara'' as well) since before they appeared in the movies. They have their wings correctly supported by a single finger, but all have grasping feet and their wings are connected to the hips instead of legs, and in some toys not connected to the body at all (though this is most likely for the sake of articulation). At least all ''Pteranodon'' toys, even the ones based on ''Film/JurassicParkIII'', are properly toothless. Unfortunately, for some baffling reason, the ''Pteranodon'' figure made for the ''Film/JurassicWorld'' toy line ''does'' have teeth, and they appear to have been made as obvious and ugly as possible (ironic, since being toothless was one of the few things the film itself ''didn't'' screw up about its ''Pteranodon'' design).

* [[https://vimeo.com/69161796 This Beeline advertisement]] has a "pterodactyl" hoist a man into the air with its feet and carry him to its nest, wherein he ends up [[spoiler:watching dinosaur cartoons with the babies on his portable media player]]. While the adult pterosaur is naked and bird footed, she also [[ShownTheirWork has long, rounded wings with pteroid bones on them and concept art shows that the babies have visible pycnofibres and are quadrupeds]]. Interestingly, the pterosaurs themselves look vaguely similar to a generic ctenochasmatoid, the kind of pterosaur ''Pterodactylus'' was. It's also interesting to note that the pterosaurs are shown nesting on a snowy mountaintop. Meaning that they ''must'' be warm-blooded [[ShownTheirWork (as real pterosaurs were)]] because they wouldn't be able to survive the cold if they weren't.

* ''ComicStrip/CalvinAndHobbes'': Played with. Calvin sometimes imagines himself as a pterosaur and his portrayals are often quite realistic. In one comic which is part of an arc introducing the Transmogrifier Gun, however, he fell into the trap of calling them "dinosaurs". After that strip, he's transmogrified into a cartoony ''Cearadactylus''-like pterodactyl which is no bigger than a crow, much to his dismay as he believes pterodactyls are big (which is ironic as his pterosaur form is the right size for a ''Pterodactylus''). It should be noted that the arc was produced before Bill Watterson started drawing his pterosaurs and dinosaurs more realistically.
* ''ComicStrip/TheFarSide'': Pterosaurs are the subject of numerous strips. The comic usually gets lots of stuff wrong, starting with the pterosaurs mostly depicted as gigantic, heavy-bodied, toothy and ferocious carnivores who co-exist with cavemen, and working up (or down) from there. Of course, it's all [[RuleOfFunny played for laughs]], often with the pterosaurs being hilariously inappropriate bird-replacements:

** Justified with Adam Squall/Terrordactyl, the protagonist. His pterosaur form is based on a ''Pteranodon'' with a misshapen, toothy beak, a CartoonyTail [[DinosaursAreDragons looking rather like a dragon's]], prehensile feet, and bat-like wings; this is {{handwaved}} by the fact that the local genetics companies meddled with his DNA, as with the ''Franchise/JurassicPark'' examples below which also appear in several chapters. Thankfully, he has ptero-fuzz, walks on all fours, has wing membranes supported by only one finger, and even uses the quadrupedal launch. Notably, [[BerserkButton he dislikes being called a dinosaur]], but he's cool with being called a pterodactyl, probably because he believes it refers to the subfamily rather than the specific genus.

** ''WesternAnimation/{{Fantasia}}'': The Rite of Spring segment shows what for the time and even by today's standards are pretty accurate ''Pteranodon'' that were shown as quadrupeds, eating fish and squid and picking them up with their mouths. On the flip side however, they are still extremely skinny and according to recent studies, they vaulted off the ground and did not roost on cliffs like gulls. Several of them are also seen hanging upside down from cliffs in a bat-like fashion, something that most modern paleontologists believe pterosaurs were probably incapable of.

* ''Film/{{Gamera}}'': Gyaos is a pterosaur-based {{Kaiju}} with scaly skin, teeth, a long tail, and bat-like wings, to the point that he looks more like a dragon than a real pterosaur. However, they are never stated to be pterosaurs and behaviourally more similar to vampire bats, drinking blood, having sonic abilities, and retreating during the day. The Showa incarnation is implied to be alien in origin, while in the Heisei continuity, they are explicitly artificial organisms, genetically-engineered by ancient Atlanteans, and therefore avert this trope entirely.

* ''Film/{{Rodan}}'': The titular creature is a mutated giant ''Pteranodon'' (His Japanese name "Radon", is a play on the name "Pte-RA-no-DON" and the radioactive noble gas "radon"). However, he looks less like a real pterosaur and more like a scaly ([[ScienceMarchesOn To be fair, the scientific concensus at the time believed pterosaurs were scaly]]) [[AllFlyersAreBirds bird of prey]] that walks bipedally, has [[ToothyBird fangs in his beak]] and can grab things with his feet, but at least he does have membrane-shaped wings. Given that Rodan is meant to be a fictional movie monster and not a faithful portrayal of a pterosaur, all of his inaccuracies are pretty much wholly intentional. He is, after all, played by a man in a suit, and his next appearance has him hanging out with Franchise/{{Godzilla}}. In the Heisei series, Rodan is now portrayed by a puppet and obtains a major redesign that gives him proportions closer to a real ''Pteranodon'', such as having a longer beak and a slightly bigger head. However, he was given bat-like wings, which is rather jarring considering the Showa era got his wings right. In ''Film/GodzillaFinalWars'', Rodan's suit is modeled after his Showa design and brings back his membrane-shaped wings, but the suit's proportions make him look even more [[AnthropomorphicShift humanoid]] than he was in his debut.
** ''Film/GodzillaKingOfTheMonsters2019'' portrays Rodan as toothless and quadrupedal, but retains his scaly skin and grasping feet, looking more like a MixAndMatchCritter between a pterosaur and a vulture. Also, he now lives inside a volcano and is perpetually on fire. Most notably, the Titans are said to have dated back from the Permian period, meaning that Rodan isn't even an actual pterosaur but something else entirely that ''predates the entire pterosaur order by over 60 million years'', which may justify some of his inaccuracies.

* ''Franchise/StarWars'': ''Film/RevengeOfTheSith'' featured a cameo from a large winged creature called a Dactillion (the name should be an indicator), which was basically a cross between a pterosaur, a dragon and a lizard. Of course, it's an alien creature, so paleontological accuracy really can't be assessed here.

* ''Series/OddSquad'': One episode, "6:00 to 6:05", features Precinct 13579 being attacked by a small pterosaur after a mass breakout from the [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Dinosaur Room]]. The [[IncrediblyLamePun odd]] thing is, the pterosaur is quite clearly a ''[[SeldomSeenSpecies Pterodaustro]]'', a filter-feeder that was basically the Cretaceous equivalent of a flamingo, and is depicted as being about [[AnimalsNotToScale half the size of a real one]].

* ''Series/TerraNova'': The rhamphorynchid antagonists in episode 3 lack pycnofibres and are improbably aggressive, not to mention that "rhamphorhynchoids" are [[AnachronismStew believed to have been extinct by the show's 85 million-year-old date.]][[note]]Though [[http://www.askabiologist.org.uk/answers/viewtopic.php?id=2417 a Candeleros Formation specimen]] may indeed reflect a late-living "rhamphorhynchoid."[[/note]] There is a larger and (slightly) better-looking pterodactyloid species that has a few cameos in one or two episodes, although it also commits the crime of being naked with pointed wings.

* ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' always notes that pterosaurs aren't dinosaurs despite always lumping them into the same entry in the ''Monster Manual''. In every edition, however, ''Pteranodon'' and ''Quetzalcoaltus'' are always depicted as being so slow and awkward on the ground that they're basically helpless. ''Quetzalcoaltus'' also tends to be a lot smaller in the game than it would have been in real life.

* Franchise/{{Lego}}: Surprisingly averted with [[http://www.yogee.com.au/lego-174-dino-5883-pteranodon-tower-takedown.html this]] playset; while the wings are not connected correctly (and like the above mentioned Jurassic Park examples, this is probably just for the sake of articulation), the ''Pteranodon'' in the kit is very accurate. It's toothless, eats fish and even has rounded wingtips! It's still referred to as a dinosaur, though.

** [[Characters/PokemonGenerationIFamilies Aerodactyl]] plays this trope as straight as can be. This is justified, however, in that it isn't meant to represent any known species to begin with, and also because it takes elements from [[DinosaursAreDragons the two-legged, two-winged wyvern]] (which may explain why the [[OurDragonsAreDifferent Dragon-type]] specialist Lance has one on his team). As of 2014, there is a pterosaur species named after Aerodactyl, ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aerodactylus Aerodactylus scolopaciceps,]]'' in a bizarre way, this technically means that Aerodactyl has been {{Defictionaliz|ation}}ed[[note]]Though of course it can't be cloned and probably wasn't a gigantic super predator.[[/note]].

** ''VideoGame/SpyroReignitedTrilogy'' updates the design of the "pterodactyls" from ''Ripto's Rage''. While retaining the grasping feet, they look more like real pterosaurs this time around, namely having the three small wing claws and even "fur". They are also given teeth, making them resemble ''Caulkicephalus''.

** [[http://www.bogleech.com/mortasheen/pteracide.htm Pteracide]], an acid-spraying flyer that's next to naked with a skull that looks ''nothing'' like any real pterosaur, but is quadrupedal and supports each wing with one finger, and much later, the [[http://www.bogleech.com/mortasheen/gunkergeist.htm Gunkergeist]], a [[NinjaPirateZombieRobot flightless ghostly azdharchid]] that [[SuperSpit spits gobs of]] GreyGoo at its prey. Of course, the artist in question normally [[ShownTheirWork does his research]] on the animals his monsters are based on, so it's almost guaranteed that these monsters was intended to be deliberately over-the-top.
** Played slightly straighter, and with even more BodyHorror thrown in for the heck of it, is the [[http://www.bogleech.com/mortasheen/vaporgeist.htm Vaporgeist]], which looks like the Crystal Palace depictions of pterosaurs crossed with a disembodied pair of lungs, bearing a branching tubular snout instead of a beak that can [[BreathWeapon spray clouds of]] [[DeadlyGas poisonous gas]].

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Arthur}}'': In one episode, Buster states that he's always wanted a pterosaur (referred to as, surprise surprise, a "pterodactyl") as a pet, rationalizing that it would be "like having a parrot that can [[GiantFlyer give him rides to the movies]]". This is accompanied by an ImagineSpot (which pretty much justifies all of its numerous inaccuracies by default) of Buster riding a fairly generic looking pterosaur into the air. In another episode, a much ''less'' accurate one (bipedal, bat-winged, bird footed, scaly, etc.) also appeared in an ImagineSpot.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheFairlyOddparents'': Any episode that involves [[EverythingsBetterWithDinosaurs dinosaurs]] or TimeTravel will have pterosaurs that pretty much fit the entire criterion of inaccuracies listed on this page: bat wings, scaly skin, feet that grab humans from midair, desire to hunt humans for no reason, gigantic, etc.

* ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ludodactylus Ludodactylus,]]'' which was one of the first crested ''and'' toothed pterosaurs to be discovered, got its name to reference this trope (its name means "Toy Finger"). The name was basically a RealLife lampshading of the fact that, at the time, such a combination was considered almost paradoxical outside fictionland, but thanks to this discovery, pterosaurs with teeth and crest are now AccidentallyCorrectZoology. The related ''[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caulkicephalus Caulkicephalus]]'' appears to have had a similar teeth-and-crest combo. It also possessed a keeled crest on its snout much like ''Ornithocheirus'', making it resemble an outright MixAndMatchCritter. That said, they still don't have rhamphorhynchoid styled long tails and sported fuzzy pycnofibers like any other pterosaur would; so they don't look exactly like this trope.

* Justified with the ''Pterodactylus'' sculptures at the famous Crystal Palace garden in London; they're scaly and have flexible birdlike necks, [[FairForItsDay but for their time]], they were ''accurate''. To elaborate, the sculptures were made when paleontology as a whole was in its infancy, so very little was known about prehistoric life. The Crystal Palace sculptures were based on the best knowledge that was available at the time. While most of that knowledge has not aged well, it represented the cutting edge of paleontology back then. One aspect that ''has'' stood the test of time, though, is the fact that they're shown as [[ShownTheirWork typically quadrupedal]], with a few of them rearing up and spreading their wings just to look more impressive.
* A full-sized ''Pteranodon'' model hangs in the Milwaukee Airport, just in front of the food court. It's actually very accurate, with one wing-finger, no teeth, ptero-fuzz and even [[ShownTheirWork webbed feet!]]
* The entire trope can be traced to Victorian era science when [[ScienceMarchesOn pterosaurs were just discovered.]] Of course, since scientists had poor understanding of the animals, they portrayed them as the eagle-like monster so commonly shown in fiction. In fact a lot of ArtisticLicensePaleontology related tropes can be traced back to Victorian era science when dinosaurs first captured the public imagination.

* ''WesternAnimation/IceAge3DawnOfTheDinosaurs'' has the stereotypical cartoony pterodactyls; about the only thing remotely accurate was that the animal's wing was somewhat rounded in shape, instead of the pointy wings seen in other mediocre depictions (flight would be impossible if the wings were that pointy in RealLife). Also, they were quadrupedal on the ground, but they use the bipedal launch.