Fossil Friday: Quetzalcoatlus, the world’s largest Pterosaur

This giraffe-sized pterosaur was one of the largest known flying animals of all time. It had a wingspan of up to 40 feet (over 12 meters) and thrived towards the end of the Cretaceous. Quetzalcoatlus was named after a feathered lizard Aztec deity.

The nature of flight in Quetzalcoatlus and other giant azhdarchids was poorly understood until serious biomechanical studies were conducted in the 21st century, and there are still many things we don’t understand about them.