Pteranodon presumably dived for fish while swimming, just as many modern sea birds do today. In this way, it could dive more deeply than if it had plunged into the water while flying.

This giant pterosaur had a short tail, unlike the long-tailed pterosaurs that may be seen in the Triassic and Jurassic periods. The toothless beak, too, differs from that of pterosaurs from earlier periods. Pteranodon means ‘toothless wing’.