Pterosaur fishing, computer artwork. Pterosaurs (also known as pterodactyls) were flying reptiles that were related to the dinosaurs. The later types, such as Pteranodon, inhabited coastal regions in the Cretaceous period, from around 130 to 65 million years ago. Fossils of Pteranodon have been found in North America and Europe. It is thought that pterosaurs fed mainly on fish, which they caught during low passes over the sea. It is also thought that they spent much of their time gliding, but that they could flap their wings for power when required.