Quetzalcoatlus northropi
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Quetzalcoatlus Temporal range: Late Cretaceous, Upper Maastrichtian, 68–66 Ma |
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| Restored skeleton in quadrupedal stance | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | †Pterosauria |
| Suborder: | †Pterodactyloidea |
| Family: | †Azhdarchidae |
| Genus: |
†Quetzalcoatlus Lawson, 1975 |
| Type species | |
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†Quetzalcoatlus northropi Lawson, 1975 |
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Quetzalcoatlus northropi /kɛtsəlkoʊˈætləs/ is an azhdarchid pterosaur known from the Late Cretaceous of North America (Maastrichtian stage) and one of the largest known flying animals of all time. It is a member of the family Azhdarchidae, a family of advanced toothless pterosaurs with unusually long, stiffened necks. Its name comes from the Mesoamerican feathered serpent god, Quetzalcoatl.
When it was first named as a new species in 1975, scientists estimated that the largest Quetzalcoatlus fossils came from an individual with a wingspan as large as 15.9 meters (52 feet), choosing the middle of three extrapolations from the proportions of other pterosaurs that gave an estimate of 11, 15.5 and 21 meters, respectively (36 feet, 50.85 feet, 68.9 feet). In 1981, further advanced studies lowered these estimates to 11–12 meters (36–39 ft).
More recent estimates based on greater knowledge of azhdarchid proportions place its wingspan at 10–11 meters (33–36 ft). Remains found in Texas in 1971 indicate that this reptile had a minimum wingspan of about 11 metres.
Mass estimates for giant azhdarchids are extremely problematic because no existing species share a similar size or body plan, and in consequence, published results vary widely. Generalized height in a bipedal stance, based on its wingspan, would have been at least 3 meters (10 feet), much taller than a human.
Generalized weight, based on some studies that have historically found extremely low weight estimates for Quetzalcoatlus, was as low as 70 kilograms (150 lb) for a 10-meter (32-foot-10-inch) individual. A majority of estimates published since the 2000s have been higher, around 200–250 kilograms (440–550 lb).
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