New Species of Azhdarchid Pterosaur Unearthed in Montana

A new genus and species of azhdarchid pterosaur being named Infernodrakon hastacollis has been discovered by a team of paleontologists from Idaho State University, Queen Mary University of London, and the University of Wisconsin.

The newly-described pterosaur lived in what is now North America during the Maastrichtian age of the Late Cretaceous epoch, some 67 million years ago.

Named Infernodrakon hastacollis, the species had a wingspan between 3 and 4 m (10-13 feet).

It was a type of azhdarchid, a family of pterosaurs known primarily from the Late Cretaceous epoch.

The azhdarchids are one of the most successful pterosaur groups and include several species with wingspans of 9-12 m (29.5-39.4 feet).

Although their huge sizes have been led debate about whether they were flightless, an azhdarchid species called Quetzalcoatlus northropi is often regarded as one of the largest flying animals in history.

“A considerable number of azhdarchid pterosaur fossils have been recovered from Maastrichtian deposits of North America,” Idaho State University paleontologist Henry Thomas and his colleagues wrote in their paper.

“Historically, most of these specimens have been referred to Quetzalcoatlus based on a preliminary understanding of the genus.”

“Further study of Quetzalcoatlus and other azhdarchids has increased our understanding of the anatomy and diversity of the clade, and warrants reappraisal of specimens previously referred to this genus.”

A single neck vertebra of Infernodrakon hastacollis was discovered in 2002 in the Hell Creek Formation of Montana, the United States.

The specimen was originally assigned to the Quetzalcoatlus genus.

Using a laser scanning technique, Thomas and co-authors reconstructed the specimen’s morphology, revealing both unique characters and unique character combinations.

“We therefore assign this specimen to a new genus and species of medium-sized azhdarchid, Infernodrakon hastacollis,” they said.

“Phylogenetic analysis recovers Infernodrakon hastacollis as more closely related to Arambourgiania than to Quetzalcoatlus.”

The team’s paper was published in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology.

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Henry N. Thomas et al. Infernodrakon hastacollis gen. et sp. nov., a new azhdarchid pterosaur from the Hell Creek Formation of Montana, and the pterosaur diversity of Maastrichtian North America. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, published online February 28. 2025; doi: 10.1080/02724634.2024.2442476