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| Mistralazhdarcho maggii
Vullo, Garcia, Godefroit, Cincotta & Valentin, 2018
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Abstract
A series of pterosaur bones from the Upper Cretaceous (Campanian) of Velaux (Bouches-du-Rhône, southeastern France) is described. This material, including both cranial and postcranial elements found in close association and likely belonging to a single immature individual, is assigned to a new genus and species of azhdarchid pterosaur, Mistralazhdarcho maggii. This large-sized taxon (wingspan ca. 4.5 m in the holotype, possibly reaching 5–6 m in mature individuals) is characterized by a slightly downturned mandibular symphysis that shows a ‘V’-shaped cross-sectional profile and bears a well-developed, anteriorly located median eminence on its dorsal surface. The presence of a median eminence suggests that Mistralazhdarcho might be closely related to Alanqa from the Cenomanian of Morocco. The material described here represents the first partial skeleton of a pterosaur recovered from the Late Cretaceous deposits of western Europe, and the new taxon is one of the most completely known European azhdarchids. Mistralazhdarcho is intermediate in size between the medium-sized genus Eurazhdarcho and the giant-sized genus Hatzegopteryx, two azhdarchids from the Maastrichtian of Romania. The discovery of Mistralazhdarcho suggests the presence of a third azhdarchid size class in the continental ecosystems of the latest Cretaceous European archipelago.
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| Mistralazhdarcho maggii
Reconstruction by Mazan 2018 pour Palaios
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SYSTEMATIC PALEONTOLOGY
PTEROSAURIA Kaup, 1834
PTERODACTYLOIDEA Plieninger, 1901
AZHDARCHOIDEA Nessov, 1984 (sensu Unwin, 2003)
NEOAZHDARCHIA Unwin, 2003
AZHDARCHIDAE Nessov, 1984
MISTRALAZHDARCHO MAGGII, gen. et sp. nov.
Etymology: Genus name formed by a combination of ‘Mistral,’ a strong, cold, northwesterly wind blowing in southeastern France, and Azhdarcho, the type genus of the Azhdarchidae. Specific epithet in honor of Jean-Pierre Maggi, mayor of Velaux, for his support in the development of the La Bastide Neuve paleontological project.
Romain Vullo, Géraldine Garcia, Pascal Godefroit, Aude Cincotta and Xavier Valentin. 2018. Mistralazhdarcho maggii, gen. et sp. nov., A New Azhdarchid Pterosaur from the Upper Cretaceous of Southeastern France. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. DOI: 10.1080/02724634.2018.1502670
