About: Azhdarchidae   Sponge Permalink

An Entity of Type : owl:Thing, within Data Space : 134.155.108.49:8890 associated with source dataset(s)

Azhdarchidae (named after a dragon in Uzbek mythology, derived from the Persian Aži Dahāka) is a family of pterosaurs known primarily from the Late Cretaceous Period, and which 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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  • Azhdarchidae
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  • Azhdarchidae (named after a dragon in Uzbek mythology, derived from the Persian Aži Dahāka) is a family of pterosaurs known primarily from the Late Cretaceous Period, and which 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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dbkwik:fossil/prop...iPageUsesTemplate
Name
  • Azhdarchidae
Caption
  • Foraging Quetzalcoatlus northropi.
Superfamily
genera
  • See text.
fossil range
  • Early?–Late Cretaceous
imagewidth
  • 250(xsd:integer)
Suborder
Family
  • (Nesov, 1984)
  • Azhdarchidae
Order
abstract
  • Azhdarchidae (named after a dragon in Uzbek mythology, derived from the Persian Aži Dahāka) is a family of pterosaurs known primarily from the Late Cretaceous Period, and which 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). The earliest azhdarchid fossils come from the Early Cretaceous of China and Brazil. However, there are controversial reports of Late Jurassic azhdarchids from Tanzania, Africa. Azhdarchid remains have mostly been found in fossil deposits in the Northern Hemisphere, with remains being sparce in the Southern Hemisphere, excluding finds in New Zealand and Australia. Azhdarchids differ from other forms of pterosaurs in several morphological aspects. Azhdarchids had straight, elongate jaws (2+ m) that were toothless, like many other derived pterosaurs. Instead of teeth, remains of foramina that lined the jaws indicate a horn-like sheath covering, akin to a beak. 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, 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.
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