The scientists concluded from their findings that the Cryodrakon boreas was about the same size and looked similar to Quetzalcoatlus, “but was likely heavier and more robust.” This tells us a great deal about the anatomy of these large flyers, how they flew, and how they lived,” Habib said. Our new species is represented by a partial skeleton. “This type of pterosaur (azhdarchids) is quite rare, and most specimens are just a single bone. The researchers behind the new study said the new species could account for some of the previous discrepancies in pterosaur remains from the Canadian badlands and around the world.

The findings were reported Monday in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology.

“They have been inspiration for countless movie monsters, they were critical parts of global ecosystems worldwide during the Age of Dinosaurs, so they are key to understanding the ecology and extinctions of that time, and, just like flying animals today, they could carry important clues about how animals at the time responded to major changes in climate,” said Habib, who is also research associate at the Dinosaur Institute of the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County.

Frozen dragon of the north