Mongolian Azhdarchid

## Mongolian AzhdarchidIndeterminate Species

* Adult
* Juvenile

Has a stocky physique similar to *Hatzegopteryx*

 **Main** Segments

MainSegments

***“ A young pterosaur. An azhdarchid just a few hours old. Being on an island means that she's able to take her first tentative steps in safety. Having found her feet, it's time to try out her wings. Getting them to work properly will take some practice. Although she's only one foot-tall, she will grow into a giant with a 30-foot wingspan, and to do that will require plenty of food, something this tiny island can't provide. She will have to leave, to feed in the swampy forests that surround her island. ”***

― **David Attenborough**, *Swamps*
Present on Prehistoric Planet is an **unnamed azhdarchid** pterosaur (sometimes referred to as the "Gurilin Tsav azhdarchid" or "Mongol Giant") that lived in the Nemegt Formation, Mongolia, 70 million years ago, during the Maastrichtian stage of the Late Cretaceous Period.

## Paleobiology

### Size and Physique

Much like *Phosphatodraco* from Morocco, this pterosaur, still unnamed as of 2024, is only known from a few neck vertebrae. But from these fragmentary remains, it is believed that the Mongolian azhdarchid is one of the largest pterosaurs known, with a wingspan of up to 11 meters (36 feet). One study infers that this azhdarchid is similar to *Hatzegopteryx* in terms of proportions, with a shorter but stockier neck than other azhdarchids. It is thus believed to have a similar wingspan, and perhaps a similarly-short but stout, blunt beak as opposed to the slender, spear-like beaks of other azhdarchids like *Quetzalcoatlus*.

### Prehistoric Planet's Depiction

*Main: Mongolian Azhdarchid on Prehistoric Planet*

Main: Mongolian Azhdarchid on Prehistoric Planet

Even with these few details known about the animal, Prehistoric Planet doesn't give the Mongolian azhdarchid an appearance more like the robust physique of *Hatzegopteryx*, but rather the exact same model as the thin, slender *Quetzalcoatlus*, down to the tan and bluish-gray pycnofiber coat, though this is mostly obscured and cleverly masked by zoomed-out shots, unclear viewing angles (like shots from within a sauropod carcass), and brief screentime. The newly-hatched azhdarchids shown in the first segment of Swamps (assuming that they are indeed the juveniles of this species) are confirmed to be also based on *Quetzalcoatlus*.

The Mongolian azhdarchid first appears in the second segment of Deserts, where several of them wait for a pack of *Tarbosaurus* to leave a sauropod carcass before scavenging it. Some later appear in the fourth segment of the episode, congregating around a temporary oasis along with some other animals. What appears to be their juveniles appear in the first segment of Freshwater, where a trio of *Velociraptors* sneakily infiltrate their cliffside waterfall stronghold to ambush some of them for a meal. The Mongolian azhdarchid briefly appears by the end of the fourth segment of Badlands, quickly passing over a canyon, while the juveniles reappear in the first segment of Swamps, where several hatchlings fly out of the swamp islands of the Songliao Basin, away from the *Shamosuchus*-infested waters and to the forests where they can hide and hunt for food as they grow. The juveniles also make cameo appearances in two Prehistoric Planet: Uncovered segments, "Could Giant Pterosaurs Really Hunt on the Ground?" and "What Else Lived Alongside The Dinosaurs?".

## Paleoecology

### Paleoenvironment

*Main: Nemegt Formation*

Main: Nemegt Formation

The Mongolian azhdarchid lived 70 million years ago in the Nemegt Formation, an area that would one day become the Gobi Desert in Mongolia. The formation shows evidence of a rich, humid environment with large river channels, tidal flats, and forests. However, the area is also known to have undergone periodic droughts, and there is precedence for arid regions much like the Gobi Desert today existing in Mongolia during those times, thus justifying the depiction of this pterosaur living in or at least traveling through a vast desert environment.

***“ The vast swamplands of northeast Asia. Within this low-lying, flooded territory, there are countless islands. Each of them is surrounded by slow-moving waters. And that makes them potential sanctuaries for new life. ”***

― **David Attenborough**, *Swamps*
Much like *Alcione* and *Quetzalcoatlus*, this Mongolian azhdarchid appears to prefer damp environments to cover their leathery eggs, as implied in Swamps, where juvenile azhdarchids are found in islands within swamplands, though they need to leave this sanctuary to feed within the forests beyond their hatching grounds.

In the first segment of Swamps, the juveniles of these azhdarchids are shown living in the swamplands of the obscure lacustrine Songliao Basin of China. While it is not confirmed to be the case, the presence of this species in China (assuming that the pterosaurs in the first segment of Swamps are indeed young Mongolian azhdarchids) is not too far-fetched given the relatively short distance between China and Mongolia, and overall knowledge regarding this still-unnamed animal is poor to begin with.

### Feeding Preferences

***“ The Tarbosaurs move on. And now the pterosaurs can come down and claim a share of the carcass. ”***

― **David Attenborough**, *Deserts*
Like most azhdarchids, the Mongolian pterosaurs were shown to be opportunistic carnivores. While they would likely go after live prey, they are shown here patiently waiting for a carcass to be left to them, for scavenging an already-dead animal requires less effort than hunting. Due to sharing the region with *Tarbosaurus*, the Mongolian azhdarchids exhibit a degree of caution in the presence of the large tyrannosaurs, wisely keeping their distance while a group of *Tarbosauruses* are guarding a rotting sauropod, only coming down to feed when the tyrannosaurs have left.

### Juvenile Lifestyle

In Swamps, newborn juvenile azhdarchids are found on islands in vast swamplands, implying that they served as a nesting ground for the adults. Pterosaurs are believed to lay leathery, soft-shelled eggs much like lizards rather than hard-shelled eggs like birds. Hence, it is believed that, much like crocodiles and turtles, they buried their eggs (preferably in damp soil, as the *Quetzalcoatlus* did in Freshwater, to ensure they didn't dry out). While this allowed for weight-saving adaptations, it limited pterosaurs to laying eggs in specific environments and conditions, which was made clear when, in Swamps, while the young are safe within the tiny islands of the vast swampland in which they were born, they need to leave for the forests past the swamp in order to find sustenance. While traversing the gap between their islands and the forests, some may not be strong enough to maintain flight at a decent height, and this can lead to some plummeting to the swamp and getting eaten by predators like *Shamosuchus*.

## References

### General

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Ancient Winged Terror Was One of the Largest Animals to Fly
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Gigantic pterosaurian remains from the Upper Cretaceous of Mongolia
3. ↑ Pterosaur egg with a leathery shell
4. ↑ Mother Pterosaurs Laid Soft Eggs, New Fossil Hints

### Dr. Darren Naish

1. ↑ The juvenile azhdarchids in Swamps are based on *Quetzalcoatlus* in terms of design.

### Prehistoric Planet

1. ↑ As stated in Swamps.
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 I Know Dino: The Big Dinosaur Podcast, Episode 445: Dinosaurs in Swamps: Featuring Prehistoric Planet 2