Eoazhdarcho

E-oh-as-dar-ko.
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Claire Morris

Marine Paleontologist

Claire Morris has dedicated her career to exploring the depths of prehistoric oceans. Her fascination with ancient marine life has led her to discover significant fossils that illuminate the evolution of early sea creatures.

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Name

Eoazhdarcho ‭(‬Dawn Azhdarco‭)‬.

Phonetic

E-oh-as-dar-ko.

Named By

L�‭ & ‬Ji‭ ‬-‭ ‬2005.

Classification

Chordata,‭ ‬Reptilia,‭ ‬Pterosuria,‭ ‬Pterodactyloidea,‭ ‬Azhdarchoidea,‭ ‬Chaoyangopteridae.

Diet

Carnivore.

Species

E.‭ ‬liaoxiensis‭

Size

1.6‭ ‬meter wingspan.

Known locations

China,‭ ‬Liaoning Province‭ ‬-‭ ‬Jiufotang Formaition.

Time Period

Aptian of the Cretaceous.

Fossil representation

Partial skeleton.

In Depth

       Originally thought to be a basal azdarchid,‭ ‬Eoazhdarcho is now placed in the Chaoyangopteridae,‭ ‬the group that includes Chaoyangopterus.‭ ‬This group still falls within the azdarchoidea,‭ ‬and with a‭ ‬1.6‭ ‬meter wingspan,‭ ‬Eoazhdarcho is one of the smaller members of the group.‭ ‬Eoazhdarcho has a toothless beak possibly indicating a similar stork lifestyle as has been hypothesized for the azdarchids.

Further Reading

Further reading‭- ‬New azhdarchid pterosaur from the Early Cretaceous of western Liaoning. Acta Geologica Sinica 79(3):301-307. – J. L� & Q. Ji – 2005.

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