Volgadraco (Volga River Dragon)

Basic facts

  • 4 feet (1.2m) wingspan

  • Late Cretaceous

  • Russia

  • Carnivore

Volgadraco, which means "Volga River dragon," is a pterodactyloid pterosaur genus that existed during the Upper Cretaceous period in European Russia. Initially, Volgadraco was categorized as an azhdarchid. Nevertheless, recent research suggests that it might belong to either the Nyctosauridae or Pteranodontidae family.

The available Volgadraco fossils are fragmentary and include a partial lower jaw, two neck vertebrae, a partial torso vertebra, and a section of the femur. The preserved lower jaw portion, located near the tip, reveals that the jaw's end was elongated and pointed, roughly triangular in side and top view, and had a lengthy crest on the underside. Notably, Volgadraco lacked teeth on its jaws, and the bone texture suggests it was covered with beak tissue.

Although the neck vertebrae are incomplete, they display an elongated hourglass shape. The single partial torso vertebra is part of a structure known as a notarium, a fusion of several vertebrae in many pterosaurs that functions as a support for the shoulder blades.

The preserved lower jaw segment measures slightly over 10 cm (4 inches) in length. When complete, it would have been approximately 20 to 25 cm (8 to 10 inches) long. Comparisons with similar pterosaurs suggest that Volgadraco possessed a wingspan ranging from 100 to 120 cm (3 to 4 feet).