Toothless flying reptiles from the pterosaur family Azhdarchidae dominated the skies during the Upper Cretaceous, between 100 and 60 million years ago, according to paleontologist Dr Alexander Averianov.
Life restoration of a group of giant azhdarchids, Quetzalcoatlus northropi, foraging on a Cretaceous fern prairie. Image credit: Mark Witton / Darren Naish.
Azhdarchidae are the most successful and stratigraphically youngest group of pterosaurs. The name of the group is derived from the Persian word ‘Aždarha’ meaning dragon.
This group included some of the largest known flying animals of all times, with a wingspan up to 12 meters, such as those from the genus Quetzalcoatlus.
Interestingly, Azhdarchids currently represent a real nightmare for scientists.
Most species are known from few bones, which often do not overlap between named species, the few known skeletons are poorly preserved, and some of the best available material has remained undescribed for about 40 years.
Despite these difficulties, the number of sites where Azhdarchid pterosaurs were found is impressive and reflects the important role these flying reptiles played in ecosystems of the Upper Cretaceous.
“Azhdarchids likely inhabited a variety of environments, but were abundant near large lakes and rivers and most common in nearshore marine paleoenvironments,” said Dr Averianov, who is the author of a study published in the journal ZooKeys.
The study is one of the most comprehensive attempts to review the taxonomy and geographic distribution of Azhdarchid pterosaurs.
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Averianov A. 2014. Review of taxonomy, geographic distribution, and paleoenvironments of Azhdarchidae (Pterosauria). ZooKeys 432: 1–107; doi: 10.3897/zookeys.432.7913
