Thanatosdrakon
Thanatosdrakon was a giant flying reptile that soared over South America about 85 million years ago. It was one of the biggest flying animals ever, with wings as wide as a small plane!1
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Fun facts
Thanatosdrakon is the largest pterosaur ever found in South America, with a wingspan of about 9 metres (30 feet) for the bigger specimen.1
It lived about 89 to 83 million years ago, during the Late Cretaceous period.2
Its bones were found in floodplain deposits, showing that it lived near rivers and lakes, not just near the sea.1
Scientists found two skeletons, one smaller and one larger, which helped them estimate the size range of this species.1
Thanatosdrakon had a unique combination of bones, including a special shape in its wing bones that helps identify it as an azhdarchid pterosaur.1
It is the oldest known member of the group Quetzalcoatlinae, which includes some of the largest flying reptiles ever.1
Most asked questions about Thanatosdrakon
?How big was Thanatosdrakon?
The bigger specimen had a wingspan of about 9 metres (30 feet), and the smaller one about 7 metres (23 feet). That makes it the largest pterosaur ever found in South America.31
?When did Thanatosdrakon live?
It lived about 89 to 86 million years ago, during the Late Cretaceous period.3
?What does Thanatosdrakon mean?
Thanatosdrakon means 'dragon of death' in Greek. Its species name, amaru, means 'flying serpent' in Quechua and refers to an Incan deity.3
?Where was Thanatosdrakon found?
Its fossils were found in the Plottier Formation of Mendoza Province, Argentina, in the Andes Mountains.3
?Is Thanatosdrakon a dinosaur?
No, Thanatosdrakon is a pterosaur, which is a flying reptile that lived at the same time as dinosaurs but is not a dinosaur itself.3
?What did Thanatosdrakon eat?
Scientists do not know for sure, but because it was an azhdarchid pterosaur, it likely ate small animals like lizards, baby dinosaurs, or fish. Its fossils were found in a floodplain near rivers and lakes.3
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Myth buster
Myth: Some people think Thanatosdrakon was a dinosaur.
Truth: It was a pterosaur, a flying reptile that is not a dinosaur, even though it lived at the same time.1
For dino experts
- Scientific name
- Thanatosdrakon
- Named by
- Ortiz David et al. 20224
- Group
- Flying reptiles
- Family / clade
- Azhdarchidae4
- Classification
- Pterosauria > Pterodactyloidea > Azhdarchidae4
- Age of the rocks
- 90 to 84 million years (Coniacian / Santonian)4
- Rock formations
- Plottier4
- Countries
- Argentina4
- Fossil records
- 1 in the Paleobiology Database4
- Discovery
- Thanatosdrakon was named by Ortiz David and colleagues in 2022, based on fossils found in the Plottier Formation in Argentina.21
- Still debated
- Scientists are still debating exactly how Thanatosdrakon flew and hunted, because its huge size makes flight mechanics tricky.1
Where the facts come from
- Thanatosdrakon amaru , gen. et sp. nov., a giant azhdarchid pterosaur from the Upper Cretaceous of Argentina (sciencedirect.com)
- PBDB Taxon (paleobiodb.org)
- Thanatosdrakon (en.wikipedia.org)
- Thanatosdrakon in The Paleobiology Database (CC BY 4.0): age, places, rock formations, classification.
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Pteranodon
Quetzalcoatlus
Dorygnathus
Rhamphorhynchus
Anhanguera
Pterodactylus
Tyrannosaurus
Triceratops
Velociraptor
Spinosaurus
Ankylosaurus
Parasaurolophus