Aussiedraco facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Aussiedraco |
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Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Order: | †Pterosauria |
| Suborder: | †Pterodactyloidea |
| Clade: | †Anhangueria |
| Clade: | †Ornithocheirae |
| Clade: | †Targaryendraconia |
| Family: | †Targaryendraconidae |
| Genus: | †Aussiedraco Kellner, Rodrigues & Costa, 2011 |
| Type species | |
| †Aussiedraco molnari Kellner, Rodrigues & Costa, 2011
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Aussiedraco is a type of ancient flying reptile called a pterosaur. It lived in what is now Australia during the early Cretaceous period, a long time ago. This amazing creature was a targaryendraconian pterodactyloid, which means it belonged to a group of advanced pterosaurs with short tails.
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What is Aussiedraco?
Aussiedraco is known from a special fossil called a holotype. This fossil is a part of its lower jaw, specifically the front section where the two halves of the jaw meet. It is kept at the Queensland Museum in Australia. Scientists found this fossil in rocks from the Toolebuc Formation, which are about 103 to 109 million years old. The fossil was discovered about 70 kilometers east of Boulia, in western Queensland.
Who named Aussiedraco?
Three scientists named this pterosaur in 2011: Alexander W.A. Kellner, Taissa Rodrigues, and Fabiana R. Costa. The full name of the species is Aussiedraco molnari.
What does the name mean?
The name Aussiedraco comes from "Aussie," which is a short way to say Australian, and "draco," a Latin word meaning "dragon." So, it means "Australian dragon"! The second part of the name, molnari, honors Ralph E. Molnar. He was the first person to describe this specific fossil back in 1980.
What did Aussiedraco look like?
The fossil jaw piece is about 88 millimeters long, which is a bit less than 3.5 inches. It was very straight and narrow, with a pointed tip. The jaw had a triangular shape when looked at from the front. It didn't have any special bumps or crests on top.
The top of the jaw was curved, with a narrow groove running down the middle. The bottom of the jaw was flat. From the empty spaces where teeth used to be, scientists can tell that the lower jaw had at least five pairs of teeth. These teeth were quite large and pointed outwards more towards the front of the jaw.
Scientists believe that Aussiedraco was smaller than another pterosaur called Mythunga, which lived in the same area.
Scientists classify Aussiedraco within a larger group of pterosaurs called Pteranodontoidea. This group includes many advanced pterosaurs. Aussiedraco is thought to be closely related to the Anhangueridae family.
In 2019, other scientists, Pêgas and his team, studied the relationships of pterosaurs. They found that Aussiedraco belongs to a group called Targaryendraconia. More specifically, it is part of the family Targaryendraconidae.
Aussiedraco's Family Tree
The diagram below, called a cladogram, shows how Aussiedraco is related to some other pterosaurs, according to the 2019 study by Pêgas and his team. It helps us see its place in the pterosaur family tree.
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See also
In Spanish: Aussiedraco para niños
