Ferrodraco

Feh-ro-dray-ko.
Published on

Maeve Foster

Paleoclimatologist

Maeve Foster explores the Earth's climatic past to understand the forces that shaped life on our planet. Her research into ancient climate events provides valuable context for current environmental challenges.

Cite Feedback Print

Name

Ferrodraco ‭(‬Iron dragon)‬.

Phonetic

Feh-ro-dray-ko.

Named By

Adele H.‭ ‬Pentland,‭ ‬Stephen F.‭ ‬Poropat,‭ ‬Travis R.Tischler,‭ ‬Trish Sloan,‭ ‬Robert A.‭ ‬Elliot,‭ ‬Harry A.‭ ‬Elliott,‭ ‬Judy A.‭ ‬Elliott‭ & ‬David A.‭ ‬Elliot‭ ‬-‭ ‬2019.

Classification

Chordata,‭ ‬Reptilia,‭ ‬Pterosauria,‭ ‬Pterodactyloidea,‭ ‬Ornithocheiridae,‭ ‬Ornithocheirinae.

Diet

Piscivore‭?

Species

F.‭ ‬lentoni‭

Size

Wingspan roughly estimated to be about‭ ‬4‭ ‬meters.‭ ‬Skull roughly estimated to be about‭ ‬60‭ ‬centimetres long.

Known locations

Australia,‭ ‬Winton Formation.

Time Period

Cenomanian/Turonian of the Cretaceous.

Fossil representation

Partial forward portion of the skull and dentary.‭ ‬Partial forelimb‭ (‬wing‭) ‬bones.

In Depth

       Ferrodraco is a genus of pterosaur known to have lived in Australia during the late Cretaceous.‭ ‬Ferrodraco is an ornithocheird pterosaur,‭ ‬a type often associated with the sea,‭ ‬snatching fish from the water.‭ ‬Like many of its relatives,‭ ‬Ferrodraco had a crest rising up on the end of the snout,‭ ‬which in Ferrodraco seems to have been roughly triangular when viewed from the side.

Further Reading

-‭ ‬Ferrodraco lentoni gen.‭ ‬et sp.‭ ‬nov.,‭ ‬a new ornithocheirid pterosaur from the Winton Formation‭ (‬Cenomanian–lower Turonian‭) ‬of Queensland,‭ ‬Australia.‭ ‬-‭ ‬Scientific Reports.‭ ‬9‭ (‬1‭)‬:‭ ‬13454.‭ ‬-‭ ‬Adele H.‭ ‬Pentland,‭ ‬Stephen F.‭ ‬Poropat,‭ ‬Travis R.Tischler,‭ ‬Trish Sloan,‭ ‬Robert A.‭ ‬Elliot,‭ ‬Harry A.‭ ‬Elliott,‭ ‬Judy A.‭ ‬Elliott‭ & ‬David A.‭ ‬Elliot‭ ‬-‭ ‬2019.

SPECIES SPOTLIGHT