Imagine peering up into the sky and seeing a winged creature, as big as a bus with a long neck and a huge head resembling that of a Tyrannosaurus rex, bearing down on you. Well believe it or not, an animal fitting this alarming description was one of several flying lizards that lived millions of years ago, existing alongside dinosaurs in an ancient world very different from our own.
These airborne beasts collectively known as pterosaurs are the earliest vertebrates known to have evolved powered flight. Fossil remains serve as evidence of how mighty these behemoths were. But it's from pterosaurs and, later, theropods, that birdlife we know today advanced. So, what species of prehistoric lizards took to the air, and how terrifying did they look?
Click through and look up the prehistoric beasts that could fly.