Tapejara was a pterosaur that lived in what is now Brazil during the Cretaceous Period (112 million years ago). Pterosaurs were flying reptiles. Although they were not dinosaurs, they were more closely related to them than any other known reptiles. For this reason, paleontologists refer to dinosaurs and pterosaurs as sister groups. History: At least three different species of Tapejara have been described, but closer examination has recently shown that there is really only one species, Taejara wellnhoferi, named after the famous German paleontologist Peter Wellnhofer, who has studied and written about many pterosaurs. Scientific Name: Tapejara, meaning old being Characteristics: Like all pterosaurs, Tapejara had long pointed wings made of skin that was supported by a single, incredibly long finger along the leading (front) edge. In its structure, the wing of Tapejara is much more like that of a modern bat than a bird, whose wings are made mostly of feathers.