Azhdarchoidea
Sign in to saveAzhdarchoidea (International Phonetic Alphabet|, meaning "azhdarchid-like forms") is a group of pterosaurs within the suborder Pterodactyloidea. Pterosaurs belonging to this group lived throughout the Early and Late Cretaceous periods, with one tentative member, Tendaguripterus, that lived in the Late Jurassic period. Remains of this group have been found in the Americas, Africa, and Eurasia, suggesting that they probably had a global distribution.
Article
6 sectionsContents
- Classification
- Relationships
- Taxonomy
- Subclades
- See also
- References
Azhdarchoidea (International Phonetic Alphabet|, meaning "azhdarchid-like forms") is a group of pterosaurs within the suborder Pterodactyloidea. Pterosaurs belonging to this group lived throughout the Early and Late Cretaceous periods, with one tentative member, Tendaguripterus, that lived in the Late Jurassic period. Remains of this group have been found in the Americas, Africa, and Eurasia, suggesting that they probably had a global distribution.
Azhdarchoids are generally distinguished from other pterodactyloids by their relatively low arm-to-leg-length ratio, suggesting that they were more proficient in moving on the ground than pterosaurs like Pteranodon or Anhanguera (which had very long arms relative to the length of their legs). This has led some researchers to suggest that many azhdarchoids, such as the azhdarchids and dsungaripterids, may have been primarily terrestrial, while retaining the ability to fly when necessary.