The wings were formed, like those of bats, by a leathery expansion of the skin, principally supported by
the greatly enlarged outer or " little" fingers of the hands. The American Cretaceous pterodactyls had no
teeth. See Pteranodontia, and Pterodactyl.
Pterosaurian
(Pter`o*sau"ri*an) a. (Paleon.) Of or pertaining to the Pterosauria.
Pterostigma
(||Pter`o*stig"ma) n.; pl. Pterostigmata [NL., fr. Gr. wing + a mark.] (Zoöl.) A thickened
opaque spot on the wings of certain insects.
Pterotic
(Pte*ro"tic) a. [Gr. wing + ear.] (Anat.) Of or pertaining to, or designating, a bone between
the proötic and epiotic in the dorsal and outer part of the periotic capsule of many fishes. — n. The
pterotic bone.
The pterotic bone is so called because fancied in some cases to resemble in form a bird's wing
Pterygium
(||Pte*ryg"i*um) n.; pl. E. Pterygiums L. Pterygia [NL., fr. Gr. properly a dim, akin to a
feather.] (Med.) A superficial growth of vascular tissue radiating in a fanlike manner from the cornea
over the surface of the eye.
Pterygoid
(Pter"y*goid) a. [Gr. a wing + -oid.] (Anat.) (a) Like a bird's wing in form; as, a pterygoid
bone. (b) Of, pertaining to, or in the region of, the pterygoid bones, pterygoid processes, or the whole
sphenoid bone. — n. A pterygoid bone.
Pterygoid bone (Anat.), a bone which corresponds to the inner plate of the pterygoid process of the
human skull, but which, in all vertebrates below mammals, is not connected with the posterior nares,
but serves to connect the palatine bones with the point of suspension of the lower jaw. — Pterygoid
process (Anat.), a process projecting downward from either side of the sphenoid bone, in man divided
into two plates, an inner and an outer. The posterior nares pass through the space, called the pterygoid
fossa, between the processes.
Pterygomaxillary
(Pter`y*go*max"il*la*ry) a. [Pterygoid + maxillary.] (Anat.) Of or pertaining to the
inner pterygoid plate, or pterygoid bone, and the lower jaw.
Pterygopalatine
(Pter`y*go*pal"a*tine) a. [Pterygoid + palatine.] (Anat.) Of or pertaining to the pterygoid
processes and the palatine bones.
Pterygopodium
(||Pter`y*go*po"di*um) n.; pl. Pterygopodia [NL., fr. Gr. a fin + dim. of a foot.] (Anat.)
A specially modified part of the ventral fin in male elasmobranchs, which serves as a copulatory organ,
or clasper.
Pterygoquadrate
(Pter`y*go*quad"rate) a. [Pterygoid + quadrate.] (Anat.) Of, pertaining to, or representing
the pterygoid and quadrate bones or cartilages.
Pteryla
(||Pte*ry"la) n.; pl. Pterylæ [NL., fr. Gr. feather + wood, forest.] (Zoöl.) One of the definite areas
of the skin of a bird on which feathers grow; — contrasted with apteria.
Pterylography
(Pter`y*log"ra*phy) n. [Pteryla + -graphy.] (Zoöl.) The study or description of the arrangement
of feathers, or of the pterylæ, of birds.
Pterylosis
(||Pter`y*lo"sis) n. [NL., fr. NL. & E. pteryla.] (Zoöl.) The arrangement of feathers in definite
areas.
Ptilocerque
(Ptil"o*cerque) n. [Gr. a feather + tail.] (Zool.) The pentail.
Ptilopædes
(||Ptil`o*pæ"des) n. pl. [NL., fr. Gr. a feather + offspring.] (Zoöl.) Same as Dasypædes.
