Taking a break from cladistics for now, I would like to list some of the
more common misconceptions about dinosaurs that I've noticed. These really
tend to get on my nerves after I hear them enough. Anything you'd like to
add, or any comments on what I've listed?
1. Considering pterosaurs to be dinosaurs
I often hear people saying things like "My favorite dinosaur is the
pterodactyl," and when I attempt to point out that the creature mentioned is
not actually a dinosaur, they often act surprised at this. It seems that
regardless of the number of books, videos, museum displays, etc. clearly
stating what a dinosaur actually is, most people seem to think that any
large prehistoric animal that looks "reptilian" is a dinosaur. To my
knowledge, pterosaurs were never placed within Dinosauria, even in the
1800s.