Quetzalcoatlus northropi vector

Instructions

One of the most confusing vectors i've ever made. I planned to leave this vector unfinished when i got to the wings, but i started working on it again after looking at ScratcherDodo21. Press R for something cool. Credit @jumpman49 if you use this. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Quetzalcoatlus (/kɛtsəlkoʊˈætləs/) is a genus of azhdarchid pterosaur that lived during the Maastrichtian age of the Late Cretaceous in North America. The type specimen, recovered in 1971 from the Javelina Formation of Texas, United States, consists of several wing fragments and was described as Quetzalcoatlus northropi in 1975 by Douglas Lawson. The first part of the name refers to the Aztec serpent god of the sky, Quetzalcōātl, while the second part honors Jack Northrop, designer of a tailless fixed-wing aircraft. The remains of a second species were found between 1972 and 1974, also by Lawson, around 40 km (25 mi) from the Q. northropi locality. In 2021, these remains were assigned to the name Quetzalcoatlus lawsoni by Brian Andres and (posthumously) Wann Langston Jr, as part of a series of publications on the genus. Quetzalcoatlus northropi has gained fame as a candidate for the largest flying animal ever discovered, though estimating its size has been difficult due to the fragmentary nature of the only known specimen. While wingspan estimates over the years have ranged from 5.2–25.8 m (17–85 ft), more recent estimates hover around 10–11 m (33–36 ft). The smaller and more complete Q. lawsoni had a wingspan of around 4.5 m (15 ft). Unlike most azhdarchids, Q. lawsoni had a small head crest, an extension of the premaxilla. Two different forms have been identified: one had a rectangular head crest and a taller nasoantorbital fenestra (a structure combining the naris and antorbital fenestra in many pterosaurs), and the other had a more rounded head crest and a shorter nasoantorbital fenestra. The proportions of Quetzalcoatlus behind the skull were typical of azhdarchids, with a very long neck and beak, shortened non-wing digits that were well adapted for walking, and a very short tail. April Fools! (not)

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