Approximately how long ago did the pterodactyl appear?

Approximately how long ago did the pterodactyl appear?

• A. 100 million years ago
• B. 120 million years ago
• C. 150 million years ago
• D. 200 million years ago

Answer: (C)

Pterodactyls are the pterodactyloids, a specific group within pterosaurs. While flying reptiles first show up in the fossil record in the late Triassic, the pterodactyloids—the creatures people usually mean by “pterodactyl”—appear a bit later, during the Middle to Late Jurassic, roughly around 150 million years ago. So among the given options, 150 million years ago best fits the time when this particular group first shows up in fossils. The earlier dates would place them before this lineage had arisen, and the later dates would be after they had already appeared.