Volgadraco

Vol-ga-dra-co.
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John Stewart

Paleoecologist

John Stewart is a distinguished paleoecologist whose work has significantly advanced our understanding of prehistoric ecosystems. With over two decades dedicated to unearthing fossils across Asia and Africa

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Name

Volgadraco (Volga Dragon).

Phonetic

Vol-ga-dra-co.

Named By

Averianov et al. - 2008.

Classification

Chordata, Reptilia, Pterosauria, Pterodactyloidea. Past this point placement is uncertain, refer to main text.

Diet

Probably carnivorous as other adarchids were.

Species

V. bogolubovi

Size

Uncertain due to incomplete material.

Known locations

Russia, Saratov - Rybushka Formation.

Time Period

Campanian of the Cretaceous.

Fossil representation

Lower beak and partial post cranial remains.

In Depth

       Named after the Volga River, Volgadraco shows morphological features that show the transition from the more basal azdarchid pterosaurs to the later genera that existed at the end of the Cretaceous. Later studies however have concluded that Volgadraco may actually have been either a nyctosaurid or pteranodont pterosaur.

Further Reading

– A New Late Cretaceous Azhdarchid (Pterosauria, Azhdarchidae) from the Volga Region. – Paleontological Journal. 42 (6): 634–642. – A. O. Averianov, M. S. Arkhangelsky & E. M. Pervushov – 2008. – Late Maastrichtian pterosaurs from North Africa and mass extinction of Pterosauria at the Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary. – PLOS Biology. 16 (3): e2001663. – Nicholas R. Longrich, David M. martill, Brian Andres & David Penny – 2018. – A large pteranodontid pterosaur from the Late Cretaceous of Eastern Europe. – Geological Magazine: 1–13. – A. O. Averianov & M.S. Arkhangelsky – 2020.

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