Pteranodon (; from
Greek πτερόν ("wing") and ἀνόδων ("toothless")) is a
genus of
pterosaurs which included some of the largest known flying
reptiles, with wingspans over . It existed during the late
Cretaceous geological period of
North America in present day
Kansas,
Alabama,
Nebraska,
Wyoming, and
South Dakota. More
fossil specimens of
Pteranodon have been found than any other pterosaur, with about 1,200 specimens known to science, many of them well preserved with nearly complete skulls and articulated skeletons. It was an important part of the animal community in the
Western Interior Seaway.