Giant ‘Dragon of Death’ with 30-foot Wingspan Unearthed in Argentina

In Argentina, a 30-foot-long ‘dragon of doom’ was discovered. Argentina’s researchers have discovered the biggest pterosaur species yet discovered in South America. Paleontologists found two massive flying reptiles in the Plottier Formation in the province of Mendoza, dubbed “dragons of death” by paleontologists.

The wingspans of the two species were roughly 23 feet and 30 feet, respectively. They are azhdarchids, a pterosaur family that existed towards the end of the Cretaceous epoch, according to researchers. Leonardo D. Ortiz David, the lead author of a new study describing the enormous pterosaurs and coordinator general of Argentina’s Laboratory and Museum of Dinosaurs in Mendoza, said: “Azhdarchids were known for their very large skulls — sometimes larger than their bodies — as well as their hyper-elongated necks and short, robust bodies.”

The pterosaurs were recognised as two members of the species Thanatosdrakon amaru by the researchers. The genus, which means “Dragon of Death” in Greek, has only one species. According to the research authors, the species name “amaru” means “flying serpent” in Indigenous Quechuan and alludes to Amaru, a two-headed Incan god.

The two pterosaurs perished at the same moment, and one was not yet completely matured, according to researchers. However, experts are unsure if the two species belong to the same family. “There is no evidence of a degree of a parental tie in the fossil bones,” Ortiz David stated. “However, both specimens are of different sizes, with the smaller one being a juvenile-subadult, and they were together when they died over 86 million years ago.”