What Was The Biggest Flying Animal Ever?

Million of years ago the largest animals that ever took to the skies lived alongside the dinosaurs. These were the azhdarchid pterosaurs, including Quetzalcoatlus, Hatzegopteryx, Arambourgiania, Cryodrakon and more!
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0:00 - Introduction
1:10 - Azhdarchid research history
5:17 - Azhdarchid anatomy
14:34 - Azhdarchid size estimates
20:23 - Dracula the pterosaur
23:47 - Azhdarchid mass estimates
26:12 - The largest flying bird?
28:06 - The largest bat?
30:00 - The largest flying insect?
31:11 - Prehistoric animal models! (WONDER Artistic Models)

[@GTSE2005]

I've said it once and I'll say it again: giant azhdarchids are perfect horror material. Just imagine seeing a giraffe-sized creature galloping towards you and trying to run from it, only for the creature to suddenly start flying after you

[@znail4675]

They would also easily outrun you as well making flying not even needed. The main reason to fear them would be that humans would snack sized.

[@robertkelleyroth409]

I was thinking along similar lines. Put them in the next Jurassic Park movie!

[@grahamstrouse1165]

Hatzegopteryx’s head is about the same length as a large bull shark. And its neck suggests that it was well-constructed for trashing and ripping.

[@chir0pter]

@@grahamstrouse1165 nah it's still going to swallow prey whole. Beaks are rather weak compared to teeth and jaws, let alone beaks that lightly built

[@declanward6888]

Mate, if you have ever read Primitive War, those pterosaurs are terrifying. Took out a whole platoon without being hit and killed a bunch of Karposuchus. Trust me those things wouldn't just be an antagonist they would be terrifying.

[@mhdfrb9971]

It’s worthy to note that pterosaur wings are not the simple leathery membrane as in bats. Their wings are much, much more complex than that, and more akin to biological plane wings than membranes on bones. It was discovered that giant pterosaurs have thick wings which are highly vascular with complex air chambers connected to the bones. The bones themselves contain pneumatic channels which leads to their lungs. Not only that their wings were thicker and much more durable than just simple membranes, they could also adjust the shape and thickness of their wings in order to aid them better during flight. They had by far the most complex and optimized wing morphology and flight technique of all flying vertebrates. That’s why they could afford to evolve such a large size without sacrificing their capability of flight.

[@znail4675]

Quite interesting, but that was not the only reason. It was touched on in the video, but the key feature of using the same muscle groups for land locomotion and flight makes them scale up in size better then birds.

[@benmcreynolds8581]

This is a great set of details to think about and consider. Fossils give us so much but I also wish we weren't so limited due to the fossil record

[@b.a.erlebacher1139]

Bat wings are not just "simple leathery membranes". They are very flexible and full of muscle fibers which gives bats aerial manoeuverability unmatched by birds. Bats have reduced their weight by having very little muscle in the legs. They can't stand, so rest hanging upside down, and launch by flapping then letting go with their feet. The main thing that keeps bats small is probably the mammalian respiratory system that is inferior to the one way system with air sacs in every place possible that works so well for birds, and for dinosaurs and pterosaurs.

[@mhdfrb9971]

​@@b.a.erlebacher1139Pterosaurs got really lucky in that they combined the advantages of birds (extremely efficient respiration and weight savings thanks to being heavily pneumatized) and bats (quadrupedal launch, more effective control over flight surface due to wings being composed of thin sheets of muscle, though bats took this even further by also using their finger joints), lacking the disadvantages of either.

[@firytwig]

While they did have pneumatized bones in their arms, they were not connected to the overall repiratory system.

[@Thorax420]

"cold dragon of the north winds" is the most metal dinosaur title ive ever heard

[@SkinnyBlackout]

Cryodrakon sounds like a black metal band name.

[@Movel0]

It's never too late to bet on Spinosaurus

[@dan_asd]

The sail was used for sailing winds in the sky

[@sizanogreen9900]

@@dan_asd they spun around like crazy and basically flew like a helicopter using their sail and tail. Truly a majestic miracle of nature.

[@boxbino]

No they used fart propulsion

[@jensphiliphohmann1876]

Probably way too heavy.

[@sizanogreen9900]

​@@jensphiliphohmann1876 You may think that, but because of the extremely efficient muscle structure recently reconstructed by scientists we know that Spinosaurs could in fact lift their weight into the air.

[@BugsandBiology]

I gotta give props to Prehistoric Planet for getting me interested in Azhdarchids. Such a fascinating group of animals that I’d completely missed out on!

[@patreekotime4578]

In the 80s, Paul MacReady built a 1/2 scale Quetzalcoatlus model and flew it around. The Smithsonian created an IMAX film about it titled "On the Wing" and I recall it being in the Smithsonian collection when I was a kid. National Geographic did several stories about it. Even at half scale it was incredible and beautifully rendered! Sadly it is rarely mentioned today, and the documentary about it isnt even on KZbin from what I can see. In the 80s this kind of stuff felt really cutting edge... and while computers can model all kinds of details about an animal's behavior, and movies are fun to watch, they lack the physicality of a working model. It would be incredible to actually watch a full scale one flap around! Sigh. Also, great that Your Dinosaurs Are Wrong put a Pterosaur video up today too!

[@20thCenturyMeerkat]

They also filmed it for David Attenborough’s ‘Lost World Vanished Lives’, if that helps your search!

[@patreekotime4578]

​@@20thCenturyMeerkat for some reason YT wont let me respond. Grrr. Thank you! I found it about thirty mins into the second episode called Putting Flesh on Bone. Very cool.

[@WaterShowsProd]

I remember that. If I recall correctly it was when so many were saying that they couldn't have been able to fly. I even remember as a kid being told things like pterosaurs went extinct because they could only take to the air by jumping off cliffs. Utterly ridiculous, of course.

[@WaterShowsProd]

And I love Your Dinosaurs Are Wrong.

[@patreekotime4578]

@@WaterShowsProd I mean, theres someone arguing that in these comments. Sigh.

[@fermintenava5911]

"Cold Dragon of the Northern Winds" - Azdharchids really have some of the most poetic names in modern palaeontology. 😊

[@nyeti7759]

That said, to my mind Thanatosdrakon is just trying a bit too hard 😅

[@princesseville6889]

There has to be a metal album out There with that title lol, fits perfectly!

[@sandrastreifel6452]

@@nyeti7759Tell the DEATHDRAGON that while it’s chasing you! Either “the Azdharchids” or “Thanatosdrakon” would be epic metal band names!

[@bkjeong4302]

Hatzegopteryx thambena means “monstrous wing of Hateg”, too.

[@SmashBrosAssemble]

This is very much Quetzalcoatlus vs. Hatzegopteryx

[@tonegreen82]

Po

[@blooddrainedsoul-0192]

Long live the feathered serpent!

[@victzegopterix2]

Hatz' wins ez though.

[@frankmaynes3608]

Indeed it is, both Pterosaurs are almost the same size.

[@Ankan637]

What about Arambourgiania?

[@marvinbange1216]

Man arent azhdarchids just the coolest things ever?

[@ImMimicute]

It's absurd how this statement is based entirely on opinion and yet is borderline infallible

[@risky_busine55]

Yes

[@elliot_rat]

this needs to be the one thing wholly agreed upon by every human alive

[@extinctonimpact]

Imagine having a picnic in the park and one of these guys eclipses the sun for a split second. That'd be quite a jump scare.

[@znail4675]

More then a scare as you would be likely to end up as the snack of someone else's picnic.

[@GandalfTheTsaagan]

And then YOU become the picnic

[@UltimatePerfection]

​​@@GandalfTheTsaaganIf they have had as thin necks as in the pictures, not likely since you wouldn't even go past the throat. Of course getting pecked all the way to the conclusion of your existence is always an option.

[@3characterhandlerequired]

I should be noted that birds took over as big flying things only after pterosaurs went extinct, so bats getting bigger is probably hindered by birds already occupying those ecological niches where they have had much longer time to evolve to bigger sizes and therefore would outcompete big bats, so there is no room for bats to evolve to bigger sizes. Also all the really big ones have been carnivores. Biggest bat is herbivore. I suspect that would need to change in order to it getting bigger. Fruits just are not efficient enough food source for big active flyer. And then you have entirely new set of animals to compete with.

[@NinaFelwitch]

Imagine terrorbird sized flightless bats 😲

[@alecity4877]

Entomologists have the best sense of humour in the field of zoology if you ask me.

[@Crembaw]

What about the dude that named something crocodile crocodile?

[@kearsargeyt8848]

@@Crembaw he was on cracks when he thought of sebecosuchia

[@raiderxs1570]

See again the spider species Han solo

[@macro_the_acro1736]

I have a few... Phthiria relativitae (Pronounced Theory o' relativity), a fly, Agra vation (beetle, plenty in that genus), the fly genus Pieza (has Pieza kake, Pieza pi, Pieza rhea, and Pieza dereistans), the beetles named Binburrum zapdos, B. moltres, and B. articuno, the wasp Aha ha, or A. ha, Ba humbugi (snail), Colon forceps (beetle, plenty more in that genus too), Eubetia bigaulae ( pronounced You betcha', by golly, moth), and last one for now, Hakuna matata (wasp)

[@Pikkugen]

I know an entomologist couple, and the husband named a spider species after his wife. (The wife was very much flattered, btw.)

[@Nagari2637]

Titanopteryx is such a cool name for giraffe sized flying reptile only for it to turn out to be a name for fly

[@beastmaster0934]

Imagine an azdarchid as tall as Quetzalcoatlus, but as robust and heavy as Hatzegopteryx.

[@Gloriousturtlechan]

Please no I am already afraid enough.

[@richie_0740]

That's just... Fr just Hatzegopteryx Cause both are pretty much the same size, just that Hatzegopteryx is much MUCH more robust

[@beastmaster0934]

@@richie_0740 Last time I checked, Quetzal was taller but lighter, while Hatz was shorter yet more robust.

[@richie_0740]

@@beastmaster0934 only a slightly shorter yet more robust neck, but else it's the same size in anatomy, hatz was the heavier one with more powerful beak

[@S-T-E-V-E]

17:51 The artist literally painted it like the Canadian Flag, complete with a Red Maple Leaf on it's back! 🤨

[@laurobernardo7807]

Looks really cool

[@b.a.erlebacher1139]

Yup, a real Canadian pterosaur!

[@bugjams]

Fossil-fighters-ass looking design 😂

[@DrDeuteron]

🇨🇦

[@rewild6134]

I like the fact that the largest Azhdarchids were toothless Pterasaurs, whilst the largest birds had 'teeth'. Both Archosaurs too, far surpassing mammals or insects in size on the land and in the air. We got the oceans though...unless those pesky Icthyosaurs take that from us haha.

[@EnderCreeper168]

"32 meter long Mosasaur discovered" Can you imagine?

[@juliet6630]

I'm 36 and ever since I was 8 years old I've been completely fascinated by these group of animals (pterosaurs). As a kid I used to be so upset they were not used in the old Jurassic Park movies. Their variety, size, weird shape and ability to get off the ground...unbelievable. So underrated though😢

[@zerodadutch6285]

So the neural tube in the middle of the vertebra is insanely cool.

[@DreadEnder]

I talked to a palaeontologist who specialised in the early evolution of birds and apparently flight or at least gliding evolved in dinosaurs 4 separate times. (2 of which were powered)

[@fernbedek6302]

At least the palaeontologists were allowed to actually rename it this time, instead of the entomologists swooping in and calling it 'big dumb lizard'.

[@jensphiliphohmann1876]

Not "dumb" but "dead": Megapnosaurus ("bid dead lizard") had originally been named _Syntarsus_ which had already been given to a beatle, and _Megapnosaurus_ as a name was supposedly a joke.

[@fernbedek6302]

@@jensphiliphohmann1876 It had been a couple of years since I'd looked at the story... I was *close* at least.

[@predragthedearest]

tnx for this amazing video essey! I'd love to see a more detailed one about giant birds, flying and flightless! 🤗

[@humbleevidenceaccepter7712]

17:52 Of course the Canadian pterosaur is depicted with a big red maple leaf on its back.

[@rookbirdblues]

I love this video, things that fly just take my breath away. I would love to see an Azhdarchid in real life, from a safe distance!!! One small correction, the most recent DNA analysis found that the Teratorns and the rest of the New World Vultures are actually the most basal family of Accipitrimorphae rather than relatives of storks. Dinosaurs science is dinosaur science I guess.

[@chucheeness7817]

Quetzalcoatlus is so cool, its neck is _tubular_ and its proportions are _radical_

[@sandrastreifel6452]

Pterosaurs are my favourite not-dinosaurs. My cockatoo, Angel, is my favourite dinosaur!

[@alexbowman7582]

I suspect that the Earth’s atmosphere was slightly thicker, the climate was warmer and land being mostly together in one hemisphere led to strong coastal winds meaning that large flying animals could use the winds to fly.

[@StonedtotheBones13]

Smthn interesting is I have a scifi story from 2009 that basically says in the story that pterosaurs- esp giant pterosaurs- could only get aloft with a midday thermal or headwind. It's amazing how our understanding of these ancient creatures has increased in only about a decade. I look forward to what the future holds

[@sandrastreifel6452]

Thanatosdrakon has the best name, this dragon of death was awesome!

[@wmden1]

Very interesting information. These were the first Transformers, but were natural, living creatures. I say this because they were configured to walk on all fours, on land and do it pretty well, then unfold and take off flying. I figure they were good flyers, also. Great video. Thank you.

[@tylerknowsanimals]

This is going to be an excellent video; I can already tell! I look forward to sitting down and watching the full thing when I get a chance. Edit: I realized the video has accurate subtitling and so was able to watch it right after I left this comment, and I was correct, it was a great video! Very interesting and informative. Thank you to the Ben G Thomas team for having one of the best paleo-education channels out there!

[@Anonymous-lv4di]

29:17 Couldn't it just be as mammals don't have bones that are nearly as hollow like birds or pterosaurs

[@black5f]

Birds are wicked things. A racing pigeon was clocked at an average of 90 mph ... for over 400 miles? The Peregrine falcon has been clocked at 240 mph. The fastest animal in the world was sitting on my hedge the other day. Wow.

[@Buster_Piles]

They are. It's a shame that people never appreciate pigeons much. They've been living with us for thousands of years, they are very, very clever and we still don't really understand how they navigate so incredibly. And birds of prey? Aren't they one of the most symbolised creatures all over the world? For good reasons. Sure I'd love to see extinct animals but there are wondrous creatures, as you say, right outside your door.

[@scottmccrea1873]

Still blows my mind that *75% of terrestrial animals fly or descend from flying ancestors.* It means flight is the _default_ ability on land.

[@bugjams]

Really, it's more like _bugs_ are the default type of animal. It's simply more efficient to be small and numerous, so of course insects make up the majority of complex animals on land. It's only because of them that larger, more complex and power-hungry animals could form.

[@xChikyx]

I find fascinating how little we know about the world... I wish I could travel in time to actually see how these things actually looked like

[@Thorax420]

i love that these guys are just like. theyre just dragons. dragons are real and theyre just dinosaurs they dont breathe fire but they could and would Eat You (and probably be ridden?)

[@WhiteNucklin]

Excellent video. I’m I’ve been super curious about these crazy fellas for years now. They’re quickly becoming my favorite type of prehistoric monater

[@SnoMoJoe1]

Great video. Very interesting. It is quite impressive how you so easily and effortlessly pronounce such long and difficult words so quickly.

[@migueljardim8177]

I don't understand judging the largest Azdarkids by their wingspans. In science, when we talk about 'largest' creatures, we always mean mass. That's why T-rex is considered larger than Spinosaurus despite Spinosaurs being longer. Therefore, since Hatzegopterix is the heaviest Azdarkid, this means that it is the largest flying animal of all time that we know of thus far.

[@rubric-eo5yj]

it is kinda difficult to say because things such as cryodrakon might have been larger than both and the avg weight of hatzeg and quetz is pretty much the same

[@Dinorhyno]

you forgot to mention my mom on an airplane.

[@SomeOrdinaryJanitor]

you know, i wish we had more megafauna. i so desperately want to see airplane sized creatures still flying in the sky.

[@TF2CrunchyFrog]

Not feasible. What would they eat? Where would their habitat be?? How do you prevent them from crashing into planes, helicopters, paragliders, drones, windmills, power cables (those not underground but strung between towers), etc? Even the trees might be different to what they are used to. The existing wildlife and their remaining habitats are already under heavy pressure from the growing human population, where do you fit in giant flying reptiles? Nowhere. And these creatures often lived during eras of Earth's history where oxygen content of the atmosphere was higher, which not only allowed insect to grow bigger but flying vertebrates to gain more O2 as flying is very energy-intensive.

[@4quall]

​@@TF2CrunchyFrog he said he wished. Way to take the fun out of the guys day dream. Do you also tell kids Santa Claus is a lie their parents tell them and then explain his mythos to them. No one cares what you think. Leave people to day dream.

[@Leon-bc8hm]

Oh this is easy its the The Bee Hummingbird.

[@wizardfromthewest]

I've always seen some of these words written but never knew how they were actually pronounced. Thank you🥰

[@rileyernst9086]

If they were flightless, why would they have giant wing fingers? You'd expect that to disappear very quickly in evolutionary time.

[@mexcore14]

Wing cost too many evolutionary points. Once they lose their function they become vestigial, or are transformed into something else. I agree with you. Big flying lizards were not flightless.

[@calvingrondahl1011]

Salute from Utah paleontology museum where I volunteer. Thanks Ben.

[@dominiciancabatit6012]

Eyyy! Greetings from the Philippines! We got those gigantic flying foxes here in my place. They eat the ripest of our mangoes. You'll see big fruits that are half eaten on the ground, which is their calling card.

[@anakintalks7082]

The fact that to me seeing the ancient griffenflys irl would be one of the most terrifying things ever and then he’s like they’d be magnificent creatures to have seen just really puts it into my brain how much more scared of bugs I am than I think

[@Thulgore]

It fascinates me to no end that excluding insects........you can mimic all the other flyers bones that they use with your own human hand. Those three are distinctly different too.

[@kittysplode]

any time i feel like a nerd i'll just watch this for ten seconds again

[@humblemarty]

I love the fact that the wing tip of a Pterosaur is all pinky.

[@nyarparablepsis872]

Never have I stopped a video before in order to hectically go to a wood puzzle site and buy dinosaur skeletons. Well, there's a first time for everything I guess!

[@Deepthought-42]

It would be interesting to see an analysis of their aerodynamic capabilities in the context of the atmospheric composition and density at that time.

[@TheseVioletDelites]

The amount of scientific names already taken by entomologists really must make other ecologists and paleontologists shake their fists at them 😂

[@bruh949]

30:00 don’t forget the Titanoptera! Giant “locusts” that acted and appeared like praying mantis’s. Most like Theiatitan and Gigatitan averaged 40-60 cm wingspans and about a metre in length (like Meganeura and Meganeuropsis)

[@WaterShowsProd]

Here in Bangkok I often see flying foxes, both small species and larger ones-though not quite as large as the one found in The Philippines. The big ones are truly magnificent to see flying around.

[@eamonahern7495]

Interesting how they made the one from Canada look like a Canadian flag.

[@SB-qm5wg]

So, the wingspan of a private jet. Wow

[@JameaJimea1175]

Thanks for the insights Ben. I Hope are you having great day if you read this and if not, I hope it gets better soon.

[@SiqueScarface]

The wingspan might be a misleading criterion anyway. The heaviest flying bird today is not nearly the one with the largest wingspan. The male Great Bustard can weigh up to 18 kg (40 lbs), but their wingspan is at 2.7 meters (9 feet) a lot shorter than that of the wandering albatross, the Andean condor or the Dalmatian pelican, which all reach more than 3.5 meters (11'6") of wingspan. The African Kori bustard, with about the same wingspan than its European cousin, might get even heavier at 20 kg (unverified reports go up to 23 kg).

[@lJ0blixen]

@Ben G Thomas I remember watching you guys when you had a small channel, it has been a pleasure watching you grow. I am absolutely loving the long ones. At 50 I am learning so much still, thank you so much. Btw, in October, NASA will finally send the ship to Europa to test for the chemicals which will identify if there are signs of life! It’s about time, it’s been delayed for so many years. Too bad they won’t go to Enceladus but that’s okay because if there are signs of life through chemical readings, regardless of the fact it will be microbial, it’s still life! To find life in our own solar system will be huge, they believe there may be life in many places in our solar system. That means if life has started at least 3 times now (mars) that it wasn’t just a random thing to happen to only us. I know aliens but this should sway a few more people and an amazing discovery. If not, let’s go check Enceladus.

[@orionspur]

Important to keep in mind that the air pressure was much higher 100M years ago, with estimates ranging from 2x to 4x what it is today. This added density would have made it much, much easier for enormous animals to fly.

[@chrismartin3197]

? There were higher O2 levels in the Paleozoic, but higher air pressure?

[@orionspur]

@@chrismartin3197 Yes, and yes. Looking for the source now.

[@kearsargeyt8848]

@@orionspurr u done looking for it?

[@robertschlemmer5039]

Limestone beds make up a huge % of the uppermost layers of the earth's crust. Limestone by weight is 50% oxygen which was removed from the atmosphere. Burning of carbon removes oxygen from air at 3x the mass of carbon oxidized. Currently concentration of oxygen is reported in Wiki to be reducing by 4 ppm per year. This is crazy high but I suggest that the loss of worldwide oxygen after chicxulub impact may have been 50%. Reptiles with inefficient respiration suffocated in hours or days. The precipitation of CO2 as limestone in the ocean caused loss of atmospheric density, pressure and viscosity of air. The atmosphere could no longer support flight by large animals. Animal mass increase by the cube of their size. Their flying surfaces increase only with the square of their size. Thus no more pterosaurs. Wikipedia has estimates of total composition of earth's sedimentary crust and the atmosphere. Since Jurassic Park I have been trying to more accurately quantify the ongoing conversion of oxygen over millions of years - maybe during 2025 I'll get more serious.

[@sonarbangla8711]

Masterpiece of a video. Thank you.

[@ecurewitz]

Those things would be pretty scary to meet in real life, they could swallow most people whole

[@bbbenj]

Amazing creatures, thanks.

[@BubbleMix96]

Great extensive video 👍

[@carlosalbuquerque22]

Even ignoring volaticotheres powered flight evolved several times among dinosaurs like Microraptor, Rahonavis and seemingly Caudipteryx (which evolved from flying ancestors). So flight evolved multiple times

[@UltimatePerfection]

Honestly, it's good that there are no dragons on this planet. Imagine this going after you, but in addition to the wings it also has four clawed limbs and can breathe fire.

[@rUsHiSm]

*Well Done, Dude!*

[@pierauspitz]

Can't help but hear " kettle koalus", and immediately imagine a tea-drinking, pinky finger lifting koala...

[@fernbedek6302]

I am curious what the maximum size of birds during the mesozoic was, as it may simply be niche partitioning keeping bats smaller at present.

[@Kacpa2]

Arent some if the identified pterosaur "subspecies" just juveniles of bigger ones? What makes it sure they just dont misidentify a juvenile as separate related species?

[@MrBonham]

I don't understand 75% of what you say as I don't know much Latin or dinosaur names, but your voice makes these videos great to sleep to. Thanks :)

[@SkinnyBlackout]

That Quetzalcoatlus diagram would fit perfectly as a plane in Ace Combat 3.

[@mik3name]

1:09 DID YOU JUST SAY ROMANIAN?!!?! HE SAID ROMANIAN WOOOOOOOOOO

[@davidwoods7408]

Maybe one day WonderArtisticModels will make an Ichthyosaur!

[@tashachantal5711]

Ok I know you're just brittish but I heard "wonder autistic models" and I (being on the spectrum) just didn't think anything of it and literally didn't realize until the very end its "artistic" (obviously, I just also have ADHD, and was processing the more important info in the vid lol)

[@goliathsparrow1082]

This video is a credit to you well done it was fantastic

[@katarzynaskoropada-bartkow7670]

My favorite animals ever! Thank you for this video!

[@Monicaelliott-k5g]

this video was super informative and really well put together! i love how you broke down all the details. that said, i can't help but feel like we might be overestimating some of these prehistoric creatures. i mean, sure, they were massive, but can we really compare them to modern animals in terms of flight capabilities? just a thought!

[@davidyemm7910]

Best shirt for the episode.

[@benmcreynolds8581]

I wish we could see genuine horror content related to people encountering dinosaurs & other prehistoric creatures. The potential is there for so much quality horror content. There is this one animator on KZbin that actually makes really good eerie, tense jurassic park type content.

[@mario97br]

AliWada

[@bobsmith8405]

Can't wait for video games to add Dracula and other azdarchids

[@NeeptoonReal]

For Meganeura and Meganeuropsis both probably had overlapping sizes given that animals tend to have varying sizes depending on the specimen so I wouldn’t bet on one being larger than the other.

[@kaiserreichtangle3120]

Biggest flying thing ever? That would be my grandmas chancla flying into my face

[@javiernicolasbustamantecor9382]

Chile represent with those beautiful 3D models 💪

[@elliot_rat]

somehow i read the title as "what is the most funny animal ever" and i don't think the answer even changed

[@Mr_Maiq_The_Liar]

Man, How come we keep losing bones? Every time I learn about anything Historical or prehistorical, there's always some artifact mysteriously going missing.

[@eduardbass839]

It should be mentioned that air density was 3 times higher back then allowing for much greater lift and non of them would be able to fly in todays atmosphere. If we still had 3 times the air density we would likely have similar sized birds now as larger wings are more efficient.

[@mhdfrb9971]

There are "theories", but I've searched around and there isn't really any credible evidence for that. Sure, the atmosphere could've been a bit thicker or thinner but not significantly so. I mean where would the extra atmosphere have come from? Sure, you could add a lot of water vapor, but then the Earth would have to be so hot it could barely have any life on it. And it just wasn't that hot in cretaceous. Hasn't been for billions of years. CO2 from volcanos and such don't add anything significant next to the entire atmosphere either, we're still just talking parts per million. Also, can't really compare pterosaurs to birds since they had different morphology and there's nothing like them alive today.

[@eduardbass839]

@@mhdfrb9971 There is credible evidence and science papers on Air pressure during the Jurassic. "Atmospheric Pressure at the Time of Dinosaurs" Chemical Engineering Department Oregon State University

[@bugjams]

3 times thicker? No, that's simply preposterous. It could have been denser, but not by _3 times._

[@jake9107]

@@bugjamsyou could be correct, if i were you i would record your evidence and publish it in an article so it can be reviewed by peers. you know since youre a professional 😏

[@giulianoforti542]

Majestic work

[@dragonlord595]

Cryodrakon Boraes is the coolest name even

[@BeegYoshi1211]

First :) Thanks for being a great youtuber man I get alot of my dino knowledge from you lol>

[@Siladzy]

He really said those bugs would be marvelous animals to see in life

[@Edwarddiaz21]

I believe the wings were actually for cooling down and for attracting fish to the shade of their wings, in order to catch them, which would also explain their long neck to catch fish before they could get away. That's what herons and egrets do, plus their bills are shaped the same as these things.

[@nathanchildress5596]

I could be mistaken, but with the increased oxygen in the atmosphere in the Cretaceous, wouldn’t the air also be denser, meaning comparisons to bird flight aren’t appropriate? Pterosaurs probably could generate lift very quickly, especially launching near sea level.

[@mogilews]

Vertebrate flight arose at least 4 times that we know of. Sharovipterygidae was another, earlier, clade of flying reptile, unrelated to the later flying reptiles like pterosaurids.

[@MakairodonX9434]

Battle of the Azdarchids

[@MrWood-uy3xh]

Gods greatest joke was making a flying carnivorous giraffe

[@lasgalon]

Thought he said with invertebrates not within vertebrates there for a second and was confused

[@uriahheep8470]

Great episode

[@robertkelleyroth409]

Thank you for teaching us how to pronounce these things.

[@Pugfeathers]

Love your shirt