The fossils of the first Pterosaur were found in 1784 by the Italian naturalist Cosimo Alessandro Collini?? who originally thought that it was a seafaring creature that propelled itself through the water using its elongated forelimbs?? a theory that persisted until as late as 1830. Its name means "ed lizard"?? and they are the earliest known vertebrates known to have evolved into powered flight. Many of them are thought to have been covered by furry coats that were made up of hair-like filaments?? and the current consensus is that they are more closely related to birds. They are also known as Pterodactyls?? though that is technically incorrect as that term is actually for members of the genus Pterodactylus and of the suborder Pterodactyloidea.