Quetzalcoatlus

Reconstructed life picture of three Quetzalcoatlus. One has captured a young Titanosauria.

• North America (Big Bend National Park )

Quetzalcoatlus is a genus of pterosaurs from the Upper Cretaceous of North America. Quetzalcoatlus is one of the largest known pterosaurs and is one of the largest flying animals of the earth's history. The genus is named after the Mesoamerican deity Quetzalcoatl, which was usually represented as a feathered serpent. The epithet of the type species of Quetzalcoatlus Northropi while only scientifically described species of the genus is reminiscent of John Knudsen Northrop, a designer of flying wing.

Description

Quetzalcoatlus had an estimated wingspan of 11-13 meters. His hollow bones allow a very low for its size weighing only 100 kg; Other sources speak of up to 200 kg. The hull was very small compared to the wingspan. The type was probably not a persistent active flyer, but put long distances in a glider, which they took advantage of similar sized birds such as Old World vultures thermal air currents, and so were able to stay in the air for hours with minimal energy expenditure. Quetzalcoatlus could probably start on its own from the ground, but needed to favorable wind conditions. Whether the long pointed beak had teeth, is currently being discussed, as is the question of whether Quetzalcoatlus on the ground -legged ( bipedal ) or four-legged ( quadruped ) was moving, with the latter theory gradually penetrated.

About his life, there are different views. With its long cervical spine and the long beak -like snout he could have hunted like a heron wading in shallow water for fish. However, it is also believed that he could have fed a similar Marabu carrion.

Dissemination

Fossil finds are known from Central and North America. During the Cretaceous period spread over large parts of North America is a flat Epikontinentalmeer from the Western Interior Seaway. The climate in Texas during this time was similar to today's tropical seashores. Quetzalcoatlus lived on the shore of the sea to the floodplains and lagoons. Bone related species were discovered in Dinosaur Provincial Park in Alberta, Canada.

Discovery

The first fossil of this pterosaur, a part of the wing, was discovered in 1971 by a student Douglas A. Lawson, Texas Big Bend National Park and described by him in 1975 scientifically.