Quetzalcoatlus

1 week ago - Quetzalcoatlus northropi has gained fame as a candidate for the largest flying animal ever discovered, though estimating its size has been difficult due to the fragmentary nature of the only known specimen. While wingspan estimates over the years have ranged from 5.2–25.8 m (17–85 ft), ...

1 day ago - The respiratory system had efficient ... of adult sizes, from the very small anurognathids to the largest known flying creatures, including Quetzalcoatlus and Hatzegopteryx, which reached wingspans of at least nine metres....

Quetzalcoatlus dominated the skies of North America at the end of the Dinosaur Age and flew high over such famous creatures as Tyrannosaurus and Triceratops. As tall as a giraffe, the biggest Quetzalcoatlus species were also the largest of all ...

February 28, 2025 - Today, the more widely accepted estimate is around 33 feet (10 meters) — that’s longer than a school bus! — earning its title as the largest flying creature in the history of vertebrate paleontology.

March 26, 2025 - With a 37- to 40-foot wingspan, it was the largest flying animal that ever lived on Earth. In six papers published today as a Memoir by the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology, scientists and an artist provide the most complete picture yet of this dinosaur relative, the largest example of which is represented by just a single set of fossilized bones collected in the late 1970s from Big Bend National Park.

March 20, 2024 - One member of genus Quetzalcoatlus, Q northropi, is widely believed to have been the largest flying creature that ever lived. Paleontologists contend that members of the species stood about 5 meters (16 feet) tall and had a wingspan of up to ...

December 16, 2021 - Standing over 12 feet tall with a 40-foot wingspan, the ancient pterosaur Quetzalcoatlus was the biggest flying animal in history.

July 24, 2025 - It’s recognized for its long, toothless beak and massive wingspan, making it one of the largest flying animals of its time. Its name comes from Greek words meaning “winged and toothless.” ... Lightweight and cost-effective artificial pterosaur skeletons are the best exhibits for showcasing prehistoric creatures in a museum setting.

With a wingspan of at least 10 m — the equivalent of a small airplane — Cryodrakon was one of the largest flying animals ever known. It is also one of the first giant pterosaurs to have ever lived and the only pterosaur discovered in Canada. What is a pterosaur? A pterosaur (pronounced TER-oh-sore) is a flying reptile. They lived during the same period as dinosaurs, between about 230 million and 66 million years ago.

Quetzalcoatlus (meaning feathered serpent) is an extinct genus of large pterosaur from the Late Cretaceous of North America. The type species is Quetzalcoatlus northropi. The holotype was discovered in Texas in 1971 by geology graduate student ...

February 1, 2023 - The undisputed giant of the skies a pterosaur so massive, it may have been the largest flying animal of all time, with wings stretching nearly 16 metres (59 feet). ... During the Late Cretaceous in North America, the enantiornithine bird Avisaurus ...

September 30, 2025 - These massive, winged reptiles evolved and lived during the Mesozoic Era (circa 252-66 million years ago) alongside dinosaurs. The earliest pterosaurs on record occurred during the Late Triassic Period (237-201 million years ago). The largest pterosaurs belong to the Azhdarchidae family, characterized by large skulls with elaborate cranial crests, long necks, short, stout bodies, and toothless jaws. Paleontologists have discovered flying dinosaurs, such as Archaeopteryx and Anchiornis.

August 7, 2025 - It’s the fragmentary remains of a pterosaur—a flying reptile—that lived in Transylvania, Romania, 66 million years ago, and just might be the largest animal that has ever flown.

December 9, 2021 - However, the team was able to reconstruct a skeleton for the new species and infer what the larger one looked like, according to the press release. Then, with the help of an aerospace engineer and a biomechanic, the team of paleontologists learned how Quetzalcoatlus managed to fly, Jordan Mendoza reports for USA Today.

1 week ago - It was a member of the Azhdarchidae, a family of advanced toothless pterosaurs with unusually long, stiffened necks. Its name comes from the Mesoamerican feathered serpent god Quetzalcoatl. It was also famous for being the largest species of any animal to ever fly.

September 10, 2019 - The main skeleton re-examined by researchers is thought to belong to a young Cryodrakon, with a wingspan of only five metres (16 feet). But among the other fossils found in Alberta's Dinosaur Provincial Park were some bones that likely came ...

June 27, 2023 - This flying reptile was likely covered in a layer of fur and was also warm-blooded. With a wingspan like a fighter jet at over 40 feet across, Quetzalcoatlus was the largest pterosaur ever to live. It likely hunted small dinosaurs on land but could also hold its own with larger predators when they fought over a discarded hunt.