Name: Albadraco
(Alba dragon).
Phonetic: Al-bah-dray-ko.
Named By: A. A. Solomon, V. A. Codrea,
M. Vencel & G. Grellet-Tinner - 2019.
Classification: Chordata, Reptilia,
Pterosauria, Pterodactyloidea, Azhdarchidae.
Species: A. tharmisensis
(type).
Diet: Uncertain.
Size: Uncertain due to lack of remains, but
describers estimate a wingspan of 5 to six meters for the holotype.
Known locations: Romania - Șard Formation.
Time period: Maastrichtian of the Cretaceous.
Fossil representation: Tips of upper and lower
jaws, one cervical (neck) vertebra, possibly belonging to a
subadult.
Albadraco
is a genus of azdarchid pterosaur
that lived in Europe during the late
Cretaceous. At the time of the description, Albadraco
is mainly
described from the tips of the jaws which seem to have been from a
subadult. Additionally, a cervical vertebra found nearby the jaws
tips, also from an azdarchid pterosaur, and also from a subadult
has been referred to Albadraco. With such a
severe lack of fossils at
the time of description it is hard to be certain about details about
this pterosaur. The describers however did compare the known fossil
elements of Albadraco with more complete
azdarchids, and came to a
conclusion of a five to six meter long wingspan for the subadult
holotype individual. Fully grown adults were expected to attain
wingspans approaching six meters.
Further reading
- A new species of large-sized pterosaur from the Maastrichtian of
Transylvania (Romania). - Cretaceous Research. - A. A.
Solomon, V. A. Codrea, M. Vencel & G.
Grellet-Tinner - 2019.
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