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New hypothetical documentary concept! Download for full view!

Inspired by ’s “Life in the Mesozoic” series and ’s Niobrara Fauna artworks, I decided to write up a hypothetical original paleontology documentary. I say “paleontology documentary” and not “dinosaur documentary” because this story does not focus on dinosaurs. Nope, this is a documentary about Pteranodon!

Why Pteranodon? Well aside from it being my favorite animal, I feel like the world’s most iconic pterosaur rarely ever gets any focus in documentaries. If it shows up, it usually gets shoved into the background and if it gets any focus, it’s usually just given a cursory glance before returning to the dinosaurs. This is a real shame, since we’ve learned so much about Pteranodon from its fossils alone, from their anatomy, to their lifestyles, to even their likeliest mating habits! An entire documentary could easily be devoted to this genus and I picture it being a miniseries focusing on the animal’s life.

Of course, if I made this documentary, it’d lack the melodrama that so many paleodocs seem to have. It’d be like Planet Earth or Life or Blue Planet, with a relaxed, David Attenborough-like narration (if not Attenborough himself narrating, which I’m sure he’d be nothing short of delighted to do), a magnificent and beautiful soundtrack, editing that doesn’t include constant jump cuts, etc. I’d also consider adding some occasional talking heads segments in which paleontologists and scientists are consulted and discuss the evidence for these things, Mark Witton himself being one of them.

I’m also thinking of reimagining this concept as a sort of xenofiction novel, a la Raptor Red.

But of course, Pteranodon isn’t the only animal in the Niobrara Chalk. So let’s go down the list of the characters shall we?

Pteranodon longiceps: The protagonist of the story, of course. With a 21 foot wingspan when fully grown, he’s the king of the skies over prehistoric Kansas. I imagine the series focusing on a young male who hatches on a beach and scurries into the sea dodging predators like Ichthyornis and dromaeosaurids. The series will go on to follow him throughout his life, as he learns to fly, learns to swim, learns to hunt, finds a mate, etc. Pose based on a Mark Witton skeletal.

Tylosaurus proriger: The apex predator of the oceans of Kansas, this 46 foot long mosasaur is the default “antagonist” of the series. Tylosaurus preys on most of the smaller fauna of the region, with fishing and fledging pterosaurs being an occasional treat. I like to picture there being multiple Tylosauruses appearing throughout the documentary as opposed to just having one relentlessly hunting our protagonist throughout the show. Pose based on a Scott Hartman skeletal, colors based on an orca.

Styxosaurus snowii: The obligatory giant, long-necked plesiosaur. Though 36 feet in length, Styxosaurus is mostly harmless to an adult Pteranodon, but baby ones are at risk from being eaten. Fortunately, baby pterosaurs and occasional adult birds are only an extra treat for these critters, who are primarily fish-eaters. I chose Styxosaurus instead of Elasmosaurus partly because Elasmosaurus is only tentatively known from the Smoky Hill Chalk and partly for a bit of variety. Pose based on a skeletal from oceansofkansas.com.

Nyctosaurus gracilis: A bizarre relative of Pteranodon’s, Nyctosaurus is famous for its bizarre, antler-like display crest. It’s much smaller than its cousin, being roughly 6 feet from wingtip to wingtip, and lacks any wing claws, limiting its ability to move on the ground, meaning that it spends the majority of its life in the air and out at sea. Pose based on a Mark Witton skeletal, colors based on a frigatebird.
Protostega gigas: Because Archelon, like Elasmosaurus, is only tentatively known from the Smoky Hill Chalk, we have Protostega to act as the stand-in for a giant sea turtle. Reaching lengths of 9 feet, it’s not quite as big as its cousin, but it’s still the second biggest sea turtle of all time and legitimately impressive. It feeds mostly on small animals, namely fish and cephalopods. Pose based on a skeleton from oceansofkansas.com.

Cretoxrhina mantelli: Also known as the ginsu shark. A 30 foot long shark and Tylosaurus’ chief rival, it too will prey upon pterosaurs I like the idea of including a sequence wherein our Pteranodon has to dodge the vicious jaws of this beast just as modern albatrosses are often preyed upon by tiger sharks. It will also prey on mosasaurs, including young Tylosauruses. Pose based on a skeletal from oceansofkansas.com, colors based on a tiger shark, just for some variety.

Ptychodus mortoni: Included just to show the diversity of sharks at the time, this 33 foot long mollusk-eater is essentially a giant nurse shark. Because Pteranodon will likely never actually interact with this critter, it will get a brief bit of focus after the Pteranodon dives underwater. Pose based on a silhouette from Prehistoric Wildlife, colors based on a modern nurse shark.
Xiphactinus audax: A predatory fish about 16 feet in length, and quite possibly the ugliest fish in existence. It would act as a minor antagonist, preying on pterosaurs when they land in the water, as well as other animals such as plesiosaurs and other fish, including a Gillicus which one chokes to death on. Pose based on a skeletal I found online, colors based on a barracuda.

Dolichorhynchops osborni: A 10 foot long polycotylid plesiosaur, Dolichorhynchops may try to eat our protagonist while he’s a baby, but quickly ceases to be a threat when he grows up. When ichthyosaurs went extinct, it appears that polycotylids like this evolved to fill the niche they left behind. It mostly preys on fish and is fairly low on the food chain. During the feeding frenzy, these guys turn from the pterosaurs’ enemies to their allies by herding the schools of Apsopelix to the surface, where the pterosaurs can snatch them up by diving. Pose based on a skeletal from oceansofkansas.com, colors loosely based on an emperor penguin.

Hesperornis regalis: One of the lowest animals on the region’s food chain, this flightless 6 foot long diving bird is one of the few dinosaurs we’ll see frequently in the story. Hesperornis eats fish and squid that it apprehends by diving under the water. Colors based on a western grebe.

Ichthyornis dispar: A small seagull-like bird, this little guy carries on a grand tradition in paleomedia that features his kind, and that’s being a pest who likes to snatch food from the pterosaurs. In a behavior based off of the sort of teeth-clenched symbiosis between pelicans and noddy terns, Ichthyornis will be depicted as trying to snatch fish away from diving Pteranodons as they catch fish. The tables will be turned when they encounter a hungry Nyctosaurus, who plunders their own fish from them frigatebird-style. Pose based on a skeleton from oceansofkansas.com, colors based on a swallow-tailed gull.

Tusoteuthis longa: A creature that really doesn’t get the love it deserves, Tusoteuthis is an enormous squid (either 20 or 35 feet in length depending on its taxonomic placement). Despite its impressive appearance, it’s at the bottom of the Niobrara food chain, showing just how crazy these seas truly were. I went for the vampire squid interpretation, mainly because that makes it more interesting and it’s considered more plausible. Unlike modern vampire squids, it lives more in the open ocean because it doesn’t need to deal with as much competition as its living relatives. Pose and colors based on a vampire squid illustration on Wikipedia.

Platecarpus tympaniticus: A smaller mosasaur, 14 feet in length. It acts as a contrast with its larger cousin—like Tylosaurus, it preys on fledgling pterosaurs, but unlike Tylosaurus, it stops being a threat when the little reptiles are grown. It competes frequently with the sharks and large predatory fish of the region. Pose based on a skeletal from Wikipedia, colors based on a banded sea snake.

Apsopelix angelicus: I was originally hesitant to put focus on any of the small forage fish in the region, as they’d rarely do anything noteworthy besides being eaten. But because our story takes place in a primarily marine food chain, I decided it would be a real shame to just glance over the animals that allow this ecosystem to thrive in the first place. This little anchovy-like creature is one of them. At only 4 inches long, it’s not the most impressive creature out there, but provides an important food source for the baby Pteranodons when they’re learning how to hunt. Swimming in large schools, they form bait balls in order to keep from being picked off by the many piscivorous animals looking to hunt them, Pteranodon included. I like to picture them becoming the target of a huge feeding frenzy, similar to the one appearing in this David Attenborough documentary, wherein Pteranodons, Dolichorchynchops, Xiphactinus, Protosphyraena and Bonnerichthys more or less put their differences aside and work together to gobble up as many little fishies as possible. Pose based on a skeletal from oceansofkansas.com, colors based on a sardine.

Enchodus petrosus: The second token prey fish, this 4 foot predator is larger and more impressive than Apsopelix, but still very, very low on the food chain. When Pteranodon grows big enough that it can no longer sustain itself on Apsopelix alone, this guy ends up on the menu in its place. Because I like to include some speculation here and there, I like the idea of it going on a salmon-like migration to freshwater regions on the mainland to lay its eggs. The indigenous dromaeosaurs are waiting for them there, and this migration is one of the few things that can interrupt the Pteranodons from their usual coastal and marine habits. Pose based on a skeletal from oceansofkansas.com, colors based on an Atlantic herring.

Gillicus arcuatus: The third and last token prey fish to be given focus, this 6 foot long carnivore seems tough at first glance, but its size makes it mere bait in the Niobrara. It will commonly be preyed upon by the region’s piscivores, most often its larger cousin Xiphactinus, the latter of whom will die when its quarry struggles in its gut and ruptures its stomach. Colors based on a yellowfin tuna.

Protosphyraena perniciosa: A 9 foot long fish that acts as a sort of precursor to swordfish. It was at this point that I briefly worried that I might have been putting in too many animals, but then I remembered that this would be a series taking place in the same formation, so not every animal has to get an equal amount of screentime in every episode. Though it’s too big for the pterosaurs itself, Protosphyraena is a fellow fish eater who, like the Dolichorhynchops, would later assist the giant pterosaurs during a feeding frenzy by herding a school of fish into a frenzy. Pose based on this skeleton. Colors based on a sailfish.

Bonnerichthys gladius: Measuring 29 feet in length, this is easily one of the biggest fish in the region. A gentle filter feeder, I picture it primarily showing up for a memorable cameo in which it gulps down a mouthful of the Apsopelix fish during a feeding frenzy with the Pteranodons, Dolichorhynchops and other piscivores. Colors based on a grouper.

Claosaurus agilis: The Niobrara Chalk has more to offer than just pterosaurs, birds and marine creatures, of course. There were non-avian dinosaurs there too! Claosaurus is an 11 foot long hadrosaur that eats plants and the occasional crab as an extra protein boost. It would mostly just make cameos, wandering in small herds along the beaches and seashore, with one being plucked off a sandbar and eaten by a Tylosaurus. Colors based on a male lake duck.

Niobrarasaurus coelii: At roughly 21 feet in length, Niobrarasaurus is the biggest dinosaur present in the series. It will occasionally accompany the Claosaurus on the beaches, as well as acting as launchpads and lookout posts for Ichthyornis. Pose based on ’s Niobrarasaurus skeletal, colors based on a marine iguana.

Dromaeosaurid: Because it felt wrong to have a dinosaur documentary without at least one non-avian theropod. Plus, I figured that with confirmed herbivorous dinosaurs present, there must have been at least some landbound predators to keep their numbers in check. This dromaeosaurid, whom I picture being roughly 4 to 6 feet in length, will make a few appearances here and there, first showing up as a predator trying to eat the baby Pteranodons as they hatch and later some others try to catch and eat our Pteranodon as a fledgling. They also frequently hunt young Claosaurus and once a year they move out to the rivers to prey on spawning Enchodus. Do note that this little guy would not be identified by name in the program as there are no known dromaeosaurs in the Niobrara Formation, I’m only including it to diversify the dinosaur fauna a little, plus I feel like the region needed at least one land predator in there. Pose based on Scott Hartman’s Bambiraptor skeletal, though it’s not supposed to be Bambiraptor itself, colors based on a red-tailed hawk.

As you can see, with the exception of the unnamed dromaeosaur, all the animals I chose were from the Smoky Hill Chalk, where the majority of these creatures were originally found. Like I said, Archelon and Elasmosaurus are only tentatively known from the Smoky Hill Chalk. Pteranodon sternbergi/Geosternbergia sternbergi is present in this chalk, but it’s slightly older and thought by some to be the direct ancestor of P. longiceps, hence why I’m not including it.

Description

New hypothetical documentary concept! Download for full view!

Inspired by ’s “Life in the Mesozoic” series and ’s Niobrara Fauna artworks, I decided to write up a hypothetical original paleontology documentary. I say “paleontology documentary” and not “dinosaur documentary” because this story does not focus on dinosaurs. Nope, this is a documentary about Pteranodon!

Why Pteranodon? Well aside from it being my favorite animal, I feel like the world’s most iconic pterosaur rarely ever gets any focus in documentaries. If it shows up, it usually gets shoved into the background and if it gets any focus, it’s usually just given a cursory glance before returning to the dinosaurs. This is a real shame, since we’ve learned so much about Pteranodon from its fossils alone, from their anatomy, to their lifestyles, to even their likeliest mating habits! An entire documentary could easily be devoted to this genus and I picture it being a miniseries focusing on the animal’s life.

Of course, if I made this documentary, it’d lack the melodrama that so many paleodocs seem to have. It’d be like Planet Earth or Life or Blue Planet, with a relaxed, David Attenborough-like narration (if not Attenborough himself narrating, which I’m sure he’d be nothing short of delighted to do), a magnificent and beautiful soundtrack, editing that doesn’t include constant jump cuts, etc. I’d also consider adding some occasional talking heads segments in which paleontologists and scientists are consulted and discuss the evidence for these things, Mark Witton himself being one of them.

I’m also thinking of reimagining this concept as a sort of xenofiction novel, a la Raptor Red.

But of course, Pteranodon isn’t the only animal in the Niobrara Chalk. So let’s go down the list of the characters shall we?

Pteranodon longiceps: The protagonist of the story, of course. With a 21 foot wingspan when fully grown, he’s the king of the skies over prehistoric Kansas. I imagine the series focusing on a young male who hatches on a beach and scurries into the sea dodging predators like Ichthyornis and dromaeosaurids. The series will go on to follow him throughout his life, as he learns to fly, learns to swim, learns to hunt, finds a mate, etc. Pose based on a Mark Witton skeletal.

Tylosaurus proriger: The apex predator of the oceans of Kansas, this 46 foot long mosasaur is the default “antagonist” of the series. Tylosaurus preys on most of the smaller fauna of the region, with fishing and fledging pterosaurs being an occasional treat. I like to picture there being multiple Tylosauruses appearing throughout the documentary as opposed to just having one relentlessly hunting our protagonist throughout the show. Pose based on a Scott Hartman skeletal, colors based on an orca.

Styxosaurus snowii: The obligatory giant, long-necked plesiosaur. Though 36 feet in length, Styxosaurus is mostly harmless to an adult Pteranodon, but baby ones are at risk from being eaten. Fortunately, baby pterosaurs and occasional adult birds are only an extra treat for these critters, who are primarily fish-eaters. I chose Styxosaurus instead of Elasmosaurus partly because Elasmosaurus is only tentatively known from the Smoky Hill Chalk and partly for a bit of variety. Pose based on a skeletal from oceansofkansas.com.

Nyctosaurus gracilis: A bizarre relative of Pteranodon’s, Nyctosaurus is famous for its bizarre, antler-like display crest. It’s much smaller than its cousin, being roughly 6 feet from wingtip to wingtip, and lacks any wing claws, limiting its ability to move on the ground, meaning that it spends the majority of its life in the air and out at sea. Pose based on a Mark Witton skeletal, colors based on a frigatebird.
Protostega gigas: Because Archelon, like Elasmosaurus, is only tentatively known from the Smoky Hill Chalk, we have Protostega to act as the stand-in for a giant sea turtle. Reaching lengths of 9 feet, it’s not quite as big as its cousin, but it’s still the second biggest sea turtle of all time and legitimately impressive. It feeds mostly on small animals, namely fish and cephalopods. Pose based on a skeleton from oceansofkansas.com.

Cretoxrhina mantelli: Also known as the ginsu shark. A 30 foot long shark and Tylosaurus’ chief rival, it too will prey upon pterosaurs I like the idea of including a sequence wherein our Pteranodon has to dodge the vicious jaws of this beast just as modern albatrosses are often preyed upon by tiger sharks. It will also prey on mosasaurs, including young Tylosauruses. Pose based on a skeletal from oceansofkansas.com, colors based on a tiger shark, just for some variety.

Ptychodus mortoni: Included just to show the diversity of sharks at the time, this 33 foot long mollusk-eater is essentially a giant nurse shark. Because Pteranodon will likely never actually interact with this critter, it will get a brief bit of focus after the Pteranodon dives underwater. Pose based on a silhouette from Prehistoric Wildlife, colors based on a modern nurse shark.
Xiphactinus audax: A predatory fish about 16 feet in length, and quite possibly the ugliest fish in existence. It would act as a minor antagonist, preying on pterosaurs when they land in the water, as well as other animals such as plesiosaurs and other fish, including a Gillicus which one chokes to death on. Pose based on a skeletal I found online, colors based on a barracuda.

Dolichorhynchops osborni: A 10 foot long polycotylid plesiosaur, Dolichorhynchops may try to eat our protagonist while he’s a baby, but quickly ceases to be a threat when he grows up. When ichthyosaurs went extinct, it appears that polycotylids like this evolved to fill the niche they left behind. It mostly preys on fish and is fairly low on the food chain. During the feeding frenzy, these guys turn from the pterosaurs’ enemies to their allies by herding the schools of Apsopelix to the surface, where the pterosaurs can snatch them up by diving. Pose based on a skeletal from oceansofkansas.com, colors loosely based on an emperor penguin.

Hesperornis regalis: One of the lowest animals on the region’s food chain, this flightless 6 foot long diving bird is one of the few dinosaurs we’ll see frequently in the story. Hesperornis eats fish and squid that it apprehends by diving under the water. Colors based on a western grebe.

Ichthyornis dispar: A small seagull-like bird, this little guy carries on a grand tradition in paleomedia that features his kind, and that’s being a pest who likes to snatch food from the pterosaurs. In a behavior based off of the sort of teeth-clenched symbiosis between pelicans and noddy terns, Ichthyornis will be depicted as trying to snatch fish away from diving Pteranodons as they catch fish. The tables will be turned when they encounter a hungry Nyctosaurus, who plunders their own fish from them frigatebird-style. Pose based on a skeleton from oceansofkansas.com, colors based on a swallow-tailed gull.

Tusoteuthis longa: A creature that really doesn’t get the love it deserves, Tusoteuthis is an enormous squid (either 20 or 35 feet in length depending on its taxonomic placement). Despite its impressive appearance, it’s at the bottom of the Niobrara food chain, showing just how crazy these seas truly were. I went for the vampire squid interpretation, mainly because that makes it more interesting and it’s considered more plausible. Unlike modern vampire squids, it lives more in the open ocean because it doesn’t need to deal with as much competition as its living relatives. Pose and colors based on a vampire squid illustration on Wikipedia.

Platecarpus tympaniticus: A smaller mosasaur, 14 feet in length. It acts as a contrast with its larger cousin—like Tylosaurus, it preys on fledgling pterosaurs, but unlike Tylosaurus, it stops being a threat when the little reptiles are grown. It competes frequently with the sharks and large predatory fish of the region. Pose based on a skeletal from Wikipedia, colors based on a banded sea snake.

Apsopelix angelicus: I was originally hesitant to put focus on any of the small forage fish in the region, as they’d rarely do anything noteworthy besides being eaten. But because our story takes place in a primarily marine food chain, I decided it would be a real shame to just glance over the animals that allow this ecosystem to thrive in the first place. This little anchovy-like creature is one of them. At only 4 inches long, it’s not the most impressive creature out there, but provides an important food source for the baby Pteranodons when they’re learning how to hunt. Swimming in large schools, they form bait balls in order to keep from being picked off by the many piscivorous animals looking to hunt them, Pteranodon included. I like to picture them becoming the target of a huge feeding frenzy, similar to the one appearing in this David Attenborough documentary, wherein Pteranodons, Dolichorchynchops, Xiphactinus, Protosphyraena and Bonnerichthys more or less put their differences aside and work together to gobble up as many little fishies as possible. Pose based on a skeletal from oceansofkansas.com, colors based on a sardine.

Enchodus petrosus: The second token prey fish, this 4 foot predator is larger and more impressive than Apsopelix, but still very, very low on the food chain. When Pteranodon grows big enough that it can no longer sustain itself on Apsopelix alone, this guy ends up on the menu in its place. Because I like to include some speculation here and there, I like the idea of it going on a salmon-like migration to freshwater regions on the mainland to lay its eggs. The indigenous dromaeosaurs are waiting for them there, and this migration is one of the few things that can interrupt the Pteranodons from their usual coastal and marine habits. Pose based on a skeletal from oceansofkansas.com, colors based on an Atlantic herring.

Gillicus arcuatus: The third and last token prey fish to be given focus, this 6 foot long carnivore seems tough at first glance, but its size makes it mere bait in the Niobrara. It will commonly be preyed upon by the region’s piscivores, most often its larger cousin Xiphactinus, the latter of whom will die when its quarry struggles in its gut and ruptures its stomach. Colors based on a yellowfin tuna.

Protosphyraena perniciosa: A 9 foot long fish that acts as a sort of precursor to swordfish. It was at this point that I briefly worried that I might have been putting in too many animals, but then I remembered that this would be a series taking place in the same formation, so not every animal has to get an equal amount of screentime in every episode. Though it’s too big for the pterosaurs itself, Protosphyraena is a fellow fish eater who, like the Dolichorhynchops, would later assist the giant pterosaurs during a feeding frenzy by herding a school of fish into a frenzy. Pose based on this skeleton. Colors based on a sailfish.

Bonnerichthys gladius: Measuring 29 feet in length, this is easily one of the biggest fish in the region. A gentle filter feeder, I picture it primarily showing up for a memorable cameo in which it gulps down a mouthful of the Apsopelix fish during a feeding frenzy with the Pteranodons, Dolichorhynchops and other piscivores. Colors based on a grouper.

Claosaurus agilis: The Niobrara Chalk has more to offer than just pterosaurs, birds and marine creatures, of course. There were non-avian dinosaurs there too! Claosaurus is an 11 foot long hadrosaur that eats plants and the occasional crab as an extra protein boost. It would mostly just make cameos, wandering in small herds along the beaches and seashore, with one being plucked off a sandbar and eaten by a Tylosaurus. Colors based on a male lake duck.

Niobrarasaurus coelii: At roughly 21 feet in length, Niobrarasaurus is the biggest dinosaur present in the series. It will occasionally accompany the Claosaurus on the beaches, as well as acting as launchpads and lookout posts for Ichthyornis. Pose based on ’s Niobrarasaurus skeletal, colors based on a marine iguana.

Dromaeosaurid: Because it felt wrong to have a dinosaur documentary without at least one non-avian theropod. Plus, I figured that with confirmed herbivorous dinosaurs present, there must have been at least some landbound predators to keep their numbers in check. This dromaeosaurid, whom I picture being roughly 4 to 6 feet in length, will make a few appearances here and there, first showing up as a predator trying to eat the baby Pteranodons as they hatch and later some others try to catch and eat our Pteranodon as a fledgling. They also frequently hunt young Claosaurus and once a year they move out to the rivers to prey on spawning Enchodus. Do note that this little guy would not be identified by name in the program as there are no known dromaeosaurs in the Niobrara Formation, I’m only including it to diversify the dinosaur fauna a little, plus I feel like the region needed at least one land predator in there. Pose based on Scott Hartman’s Bambiraptor skeletal, though it’s not supposed to be Bambiraptor itself, colors based on a red-tailed hawk.

As you can see, with the exception of the unnamed dromaeosaur, all the animals I chose were from the Smoky Hill Chalk, where the majority of these creatures were originally found. Like I said, Archelon and Elasmosaurus are only tentatively known from the Smoky Hill Chalk. Pteranodon sternbergi/Geosternbergia sternbergi is present in this chalk, but it’s slightly older and thought by some to be the direct ancestor of P. longiceps, hence why I’m not including it.