Azhdarchoidea

The Azhdarchoidea is perhaps the longest-lasting pterosaur clade, having had its genesis in the Early Cretaceous and persevering until the present-day. Mesozoic forms ranged from terrestrial stalkers such as *Thalassodromeus* to frugivores such as *Tupandactylus*.

## History

The Azhdarchoidea arose at some point during the Early Cretaceous, roughly 125 million years ago. Little is actually known of the clade's early evolution, though they certainly belong to the larger clade of Ornithocheiroidea. Early on in their evolution, they diversified into an astounding variety of forms, ranging from terrestrial predators that utilized their beaks to grab small prey, to herbivores that fed on fruit. Arguably the most successful family within this diverse clade, though, is the family Azhdarchidae. Evolving approximately 110 million years ago, they quickly asserted themselves as top hog among pterosaur communities, occupying niches ranging from small waders to colossal stork-analogues. Nearly all extant pterosaurs are descended from this family, with a few exceptions. After the Maastrichtian, they began to rapidly diversify even further, with at least three different clades being hitherto recognized (though some have suggested there are more).

## Skybachidae

The equivalent of living fossils, having remained almost unchanged since the end of the Mesozoic, though still being distinct enough for their own family, the skybachids are one of the last major groups of pterosaurs. While most have gone extinct due to the rise of the avian dinosaurs, the skybachids still remained as the apex predators of the skies. Large, stocky and having large crests, the skybachids harken back to a bygone age of the Mesozoic.

### Büdak(Paraguayopterus contritiorhamphus)

*Paraguayopterus contritiorhamphus*(Latin for "Paraguayan wing with crushing beak"), also known commonly as the Büdak, is a large thickbilled Skybachid with an omnivorous diet. It is known solely from southeastern Paraguay, hence its name.

Büdaks are known to eat foods that range from small lizards and fish, to blueberries and nuts. They coexist with large tyrannosaurs, medium-sized Abelisaurs, gigantic Leptoceratopsids, and many more. The wingspan of an average Büdak would be around 9 meters(29 feet).

## Ungulopteridae

Roughly 54 million years ago, an offshoot clade within the Azhdarchidae began trending towards a herbivorous diet. They slowly became inhabitants of more secluded areas, such as dense forests and jungles, and the need to escape was replaced by camouflage. Their wings slowly atrophied into spurs, their pteroid bone becoming more and more smaller, their digits developing hooves, their head crests tall and thin enough to cut through the vegetation like the casque of a cassowary. So radically different from their ancestors were these new taxa, that they require a new family: the Ungulopteridae, which is a very successful group, living in Europe, Asia, the Americas and Africa.

### Kongamato (*Kongamato novis*)

Discovered during the Challenger Expedition to the Congolese jungles, the kongamato is a man-sized ungulopterid found along the banks of the Congo River. It is a generalist, though much of its diet consists of lungfishes, mawsoniids and perhaps surprisingly, the young of crocodiles. With a colouration similar to an okapi, it blends almost seamlessly into the dense jungle it inhabits, given away infrequently by its grey head crest. During the breeding season, this is pumped with blood, turning a vivid orange-pink. Individuals use their wing-spurs in territorial conflicts, or to displace a rival during mating season.

### Mapinguari (*Mapinguari mazui*)

Discovered by a joint American and Japanese expedition in the northern Amazon jungle, the mapinguari is a large herbivorous ungulopterid native to the Amazon Rainforest. Like the kongamato, it is named after a creature from indigenous legend, specifically after the large white stripe (dubbed a "pseudoral striation") present on its chest. The mapinguari is a social species, living in small "herds" of between three and five individuals. The largest and most aggressive male is the leader of the herd, and thus his wing spurs are larger, his body more muscular, his system flushed with more testosterone.

### Side-burnt spurwing (*Ferapterus adustus*)

A specialist of small animals and vegetation, the side-burnt spurwing is distinctive for its dark bands around its flanks — appearing like a sideburn. These small ungulopterids have more reduced spurs, digit IV being remarkably large — this is because their bands are separated, with most individuals only meeting each other during migrations, or rut. Living in small, yet extremely separated 'bands', always alert for danger, the flightless pterosaurs are almost like omnivorous rabbits, just to a lesser degree. During the rut, they use their reduced spurs and beaks to to displace rivals,

## Ptychocheiridae

While the Ungulopteridae evolved into flightless herbivores, and the Skybachidae remained flying predators, members of the South American family Ptychocheiridae did something in-between. They are capable hunters of terrestrial prey, restricted to the ground by atrophied wings; some believe that they are the closest relatives of the ungulopterids.

### Romsiwamnari (*Ptychocheirus janseni*)

The romsiwamnari is the biggest predator in the Amazon Rainforest, a colossal predator attaining a height of 15 feet. It has developed a powerful hyoid with a large, flexible tongue, capable of darting out and grabbing small prey from afar. Larger victims must be obtained directly, using the seven-foot-long beak. Instead of using their reduced wing-spurs - which are practically absent - they settle debates much like their ancestors, smashing their huge beaks into one another until one competitor backs off. Individuals rarely interact in this way, though, and they occasionally co-operate to bring down large prey, such as small sauropods.

### False saurantelope (*Anteloposaurus angustus*)

A very rare species of small, saurantelope-like pterosaur that lives in the Amazon Rainforest. It is a more generalised, being a feeder of small metatherian mammals, birds and insects.