Azhdarchidae
| Azhdarchids Temporal range: Late Cretaceous, 108–65 Ma possible Early Cretaceous record |
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| Reconstructed skeleton of Quetzalcoatlus northropi | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | †Pterosauria |
| Suborder: | †Pterodactyloidea |
| clade: | †Neoazhdarchia |
| Family: | †Azhdarchidae Nesov, 1984 |
| Type species | |
| †Azhdarcho lancicollis Nesov, 1984 |
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| Genera | |
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See text |
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| Synonyms | |
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"Titanopterygiidae" |
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Azhdarchidae (from Ajdarxo, the name of a dragon (Ashdaar) in Persian mythology, derived from the Old-Persian Aži Dahāka) is a family of pterosaurs known primarily from the late Cretaceous Period, though an isolated vertebrae apparently from an azhdarchid is known from the early Cretaceous as well (late Berriasian age, about 140Ma ago).[1] Azhdarchids included some of the largest known flying animals of all time. Originally considered a sub-family of Pteranodontidae, Nesov (1984) named the azhdarchinae to include the pterosaurs Azhdarcho, Quetzalcoatlus, and "Titanopteryx" (now known as Arambourgiania).
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[edit] Description
Azhdarchids are characterized by their long legs and extremely long necks, made up of elongated neck vertebrae which are round in cross section. Most species of azhdarchids are still known mainly from their distinctive neck bones and not much else. The few azhdarchids that are known from reasonably good skeletons include Zhejiangopterus and Quetzalcoatlus. Azhdarchids are also distinguished by their relatively large heads and long, spear-like jaws. It had been suggested azhdarchids were skimmers,[2][3] but further research has cast doubt on this idea, demonstrating that azhdarchids lacked the necessary adaptations for a skim-feeding lifestyle, and that they may have led a more terrestrial existence similar to modern storks.[4][5][6][7]
[edit] Systematics
Azhdarchids were originally classified as close relatives of Pteranodon due to their long, toothless beaks. Others have suggested they were more closely related to the toothy Ctenochasmatids (which include filter-feeders like Ctenochasma and Pterodaustro). Currently it is widely agreed that azhdarchids were closely related to pterosaurs such as Tupuxuara and Tapejara.
[edit] Taxonomy
Classification after Unwin 2006, except where noted.[8]
- Family Azhdarchidae
- Alanqa[9]
- Aralazhdarcho[10]
- Arambourgiania
- Azhdarcho
- Bakonydraco
- Hatzegopteryx
- Montanazhdarcho
- Phosphatodraco
- Quetzalcoatlus
- Volgadraco[11]
- Zhejiangopterus
- Possible valid azhdarchid genera
- Bennettazhia
- Bogolubovia
- Doratorhynchus
- Eoazhdarcho
- "Ornithocheirus" bunzeliBuffetaut, E.; Ősi, A.; Prondvai, E. (2010). "The pterosaurian remains from the Grünbach Formation (Campanian, Gosau Group) of Austria: A reappraisal of ' Ornithocheirus buenzeli'". Geological Magazine 148 (2): 334. doi:10.1017/S0016756810000981.
[edit] References
- ^ Dyke, G., Benton, M., Posmosanu, E. and Naish, D. (2010). "Early Cretaceous (Berriasian) birds and pterosaurs from the Cornet bauxite mine, Romania." Palaeontology, published online before print 15 September 2010. doi:10.1111/j.1475-4983.2010.00997.x
- ^ Nesov, L. A. (1984). ["Upper Cretaceous pterosaurs and birds from Central Asia."] Paleontologicheskii Zhurnal, 1984(1), 47-57.
- ^ Kellner, A. W. A., and Langston, W. (1996). "Cranial remains of Quetzalcoatlus (Pterosauria, Azhdarchidae) from Late Cretaceous sediments of Big Bend National Park, Texas." Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, 16, 222-231.
- ^ Chatterjee, S., and Templin, R. J. (2004). "Posture, locomotion, and paleoecology of pterosaurs." Geological Society of America Special Publication, 376, 1-64.
- ^ Ősi, A., Weishampel, D.B., and Jianu, C.M. (2005). "First evidence of azhdarchid pterosaurs from the Late Cretaceous of Hungary." Acta Palaeontologica Polonica, 50(4): 777–787.
- ^ Humphries, S., Bonser, R.H.C., Witton, M.P., and Martill, D.M. (2007). "Did pterosaurs feed by skimming? Physical modelling and anatomical evaluation of an unusual feeding method." PLoS Biology, 5(8): e204.
- ^ http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0002271
- ^ Unwin, David M. (2006). The Pterosaurs: From Deep Time. New York: Pi Press. p. 273. ISBN 0-13-146308-X.
- ^ Ibrahim, N., Unwin, D.M., Martill, D.M., Baidder, L. and Zouhri, S. (2010). "A New Pterosaur (Pterodactyloidea: Azhdarchidae) from the Upper Cretaceous of Morocco." PLoS ONE, 5(5): e10875. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0010875
- ^ Averianov, A.O. (2007). "New records of azhdarchids (Pterosauria, Azhdarchidae) from the late Cretaceous of Russia, Kazakhstan, and Central Asia." Paleontological Journal, 41(2): 189-197.
- ^ Averianov, A.O.; Arkhangelsky, M.S.; and Pervushov, E.M. (2008). "A New Late Cretaceous Azhdarchid (Pterosauria, Azhdarchidae) from the Volga Region". Paleontological Journal 42 (6): 634–642. doi:10.1134/S0031030108060099.
- Astibia, H., Buffetaut, E., Buscalioni, A.D., Cappetta, H., Corrall, C., Estes, R., Garcia-Garmilla, F., Jaeger, J.J., Jimenez-Fuentes, E., Loeuff, J. Le, Mazin, J.M., Orue-Etxebarria, X., Pereda-Suberbiola, J., Powell, J.E., Rage, J.C., Rodriguez-Lazaro, J., Sanz, J.L., and Tong, H. (1991). "The fossil vertebrates from Lafio (Basque Country, Spain); new evidence on the composition and affinities of the Late Cretaceous continental fauna of Europe." Terra Nova, 2: 460-466.
- Bennett, S. C. (2000). "Pterosaur flight: the role of actinofibrils in wing function." Historical Biology, 14: 255-284.
- Nesov, L.A. (1990). ["Flying reptiles of the Jurassic and Cretaceous of the USSR and the significance of their remains for the reconstruction of palaeogeographic conditions."] Bulletin of Leningrad University, Series 7, Geology and Geography, 4(28): 3-10 [In Russian].
- Nesov, L.A. (1991). ["Giant flying reptiles of the family Azhdarchidae: 11. Environment, sedirnentological conditions and preservation of remains."] Bulletin of Leningrad Universitv Series 7, Geology and Geography, 3(21), 16-24 [In Russian].
