Archive article Monstrum Athenaeum
Is A Pterosaur Flying Over Idaho?
A video posted on YouTube has once again raised the debate over whether some dinosaurs did survive extinction some 60 million years ago. The dinosaur at the center of the controversy is one of the most recognizable of all the species – the…
Original article imageA video posted on YouTube has once again raised the debate over whether some dinosaurs did survive extinction some 60 million years ago. The dinosaur at the center of the controversy is one of the most recognizable of all the species – the pterosaur.
Pterosaurs, giant winged dinosaurs with sharp teeth and claws, were one of the first creatures to take to the air. They existed during the middle to late Triassic period, two-hundred-million years ago, and thrived through the middle of the Jurassic period when the dinosaurs were wiped out. Or were they?

The footage on the video clearly shows a pterosaur-type creature silhouetted against the Idaho skies. The distinctive head crest and the clawed fingers at the end of the wings are recognizable along with small legs trailing behind the body. There’s no doubt the image isn’t of any bird species known but is it really of a live dinosaur?
Sceptics instantly dismissed the video as a hoax, and the anonymous status of the YouTube poster hasn’t helped the credibility of the footage. Curious, though, if someone created the footage, why release it anonymously? I guess we’ll have to wait to find out if this is the real deal or the work of a practical joker, passing the time away.
Originally published September 28, 2015. This is the original account, presented in our current reading format.
Article details & credits
The original article title is “Is A Pterosaur Flying Over Idaho?”. Original artwork credits and source links remain with the text. Images are labeled individually; preserved source images and AI editorial illustrations remain distinct.
Header image: preserved original. The footage on the video clearly shows a pterosaur-type creature silhouetted against the Idaho skies.
The text reflects the original author’s account and conclusions at the time of publication. It has not been rewritten as a newly verified encounter.

