Researchers in Argentina have found the largest pterosaur species ever found in South America. Called paleontologists by the so-called “dragon of death”, they found two giant flying reptiles in the Plottier Formation on a surface located in the province of Mendoza.
The southern width of the two grains was 23 feet (7 m) wide and 30 feet (9 m) wide, respectively. Researchers have confirmed that they are members of Azhdark, a family pterosaurs It lived at the end of the Cretaceous (about 146 million and 66 million years ago).
“Azhdarkids were known for their very large skulls, sometimes larger than their bodies, as well as their hyperlonged necks and short, strong bodies,” said Leonardo D. Ortiz David, lead author and general coordinator of a new study describing horrible pterosaurs. At the hands of the Mendoza Dinosaur Laboratory and Museum in Argentina, Live Science said in an email.
Scientists have identified pterosaurs as two individuals of the species Thanatosdrakon amaru. This is the only species in the genus, which means “dragon of death” in Greek. The name of the species, “amaru”, translates as “flying snake” from the Quechua language of the natives and refers to Amaru, a two-headed Inca god, according to the authors of the study..
Related: The “real life dragon” was a “wild” and giant Australian Cretaceous hunter.
The researchers determined that two pterosaurs were killed at the same time and that one had not yet fully grown. But scientists can’t say for sure whether the two animals are part of a family group.
“There are no signs of a level of parental relationship in the fossil record,” said Ortiz David. “However, it can be said that the two grains are of different sizes, and that the smaller one is young and subdued, and that they were together when they died more than 86 million years ago.”
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The fossils were found during excavations of a civil construction project, 500 miles (800 kilometers) outside the capital Mendoza (also called Mendoza). Ortiz David and his team were overseeing the excavation when they found fossil fragments in the floodplain deposits. Mendoza, Aconcagua, the highest mountain in the United States, is also known for its important discoveries of other dinosaurs, including the giant sauropod. Notokolosoaone of them the largest dinosaurs in the world, in 2016. (The discovery was also made by David Ortiz’s research team).
“The [Thanatosdrakon] fossils were in various states of conservation; some of them were composed, such as both humerus [large arm bones]syncarps [fused foot bones] and back vertebrae, “he said.” Others were fragmentary, including the phalanges [toe bones]cubit, radius [forearm bones]femur [upper leg bone] and pelvis “.
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Ortiz David said the team was surprised to find fossils in such good condition that the bones of the pterosaurs are fragile and that the fossils are usually found in small pieces.
“From the beginning, we were struck by two events: the first was the size of the remains and their three-dimensional maintenance, an unusual situation in this group of vertebrates; the second was the number of remains found at the site. . “The description of new specimens for vertebrate paleontology is always important, as they shed light on the different groups being studied. In this particular case, the 3D elements of large pterosaurs are scarce, and Thanatosdrakon excellent case study “.
The fossils are now in the Dinosaur Laboratory and Museum at Cuyo National University in Mendoza. To help preserve the specimens, museum experts made molds of different fossils on a 1-1 scale; the actors are on display in the museum.
The researchers’ findings will be published in September 2022 in the journal Cretaceous Research.
Originally published in Live Science.