Quetzalcoatlus
If
you think the name looks a lot like the name of the Aztec feathered god, you
are right. the fossils of this winged reptile were named after that god. This
type of pterosaur is the largest known example of flying animal. The artist’s
rendition that was intended to give some clue as to size showed a standing
quetzalcoatlus just as tall as a giraffe (with a neck just as long), and a wing
span of about 36 feet (11 m). The human man in the picture was not quite as
tall as the back legs were long.
As
I read the article, I was reminded again and again of the ‘airplanes’ in the
Flintstones cartoons, where a small cabin sat atop a huge flying reptile. Not
very feasible, as even this huge creature would probably be able to carry only
2-3 humans on its back. And I don’t know if it could fly with that much extra
weight.
The
skeleton pictures showed a skull that was mostly beak, with a bony crest on the
forehead, between the large eyes. It doesn’t have any teeth, and its wings are
depicted as looking quite a bit like a bat’s wing. It is also depicted as
folding its wings in half and possibly using its wings as support when standing
or walking. Most of the known fossils of this creature were found in Texas.
Several
feeding patterns have been suggested for the Quetzalcoatlus, but the most
recent one is that they stalked small vertebrates while on the ground, similar
to the modern stork.
There
has been much argument among scientists about Quetzelcoatlus’ ability to fly.
The latest thought is that they would use powered flight to get to a point
where they could use thermal gliding. The wing muscles were found to be quite
robust, which they would not be if the animal were purely a terrestrial animal.
There
are potentially 2 species of Quetzelcoatlus. Measurements I’ve given are for
the larger specie, there is possibly another specie that is about half as
large.
So,
if this extinct species comes back to life, that could make life difficult for
the human population. While adults might be too large for the smaller
Quetzelcoatlus to attack, children would probably be seen as ‘fair game’. And
even adults might have to watch out if the larger variety is around.
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