Giants of the Ancient Skies - Azhdarchids (Part 1)

[@Kazooples]

They don’t look like they should be able to exist, I’m so fascinated by them

[@ian_b]

They look like they'd just topple over onto their faces. If they hadn't existed, we'd think they couldn't!

[@Zeal_Faith_Humanity]

Hmmmm. It's because they don't

[@khalil8043]

@@Zeal_Faith_Humanity what do you mean? These were real creatures

[@Zeal_Faith_Humanity]

@@khalil8043 No.

[@Palguim]

@@Zeal_Faith_Humanity creationist?

[@moonblast1647]

Huge leathery wings, giant crests, giant size, and they're terrifying... Yup, dragons existed.

[@BenGThomas]

Even their name comes from a kind of 'dragon' haha

[@andrewgan557]

Ben G Thomas they reminds me of Rodanthe.

[@ksoundkaiju9256]

Can they breathe fire tho?🐲

[@Anna-pj8te]

Moon Blast their wings weren’t leather, they had air sacks in their wings.

[@MrElvenbrother]

Dragons have a bit more of a dignified look, tho.

[@CallMeJephph]

gotta love carnivorous sky giraffes

[@mr.jglokta191]

Sorry about ruining your 69

[@iainmawhinney8867]

Call Me Jephph man-eating stork giraffes

[@TheaTheGenius]

@@iainmawhinney8867 extra long flappy giraffe boi

[@anonymousone6182]

I hear they taste like chicken

[@EloquentTroll]

@@mr.jglokta191 is okay, I made it 222. 1/3 of the beast

[@maxgreece1]

Pterosaurs are amazing and there's still so much to learn. Can't wait for part 2.

[@loumightwearahatt.1897]

But you will have to thought.

[@TheJJ65]

boy do I have some bad news for you

[@sunnyjim1355]

But you do realize, don't you, that almost everything thing that is 'known' about these animals is pure speculation, right?

[@Galdenberry_Lamphuck]

It's out now. Just look it up

[@whiskeybravo9936]

It is common for birds on islands to become flightless. I do wonder if these very large pterosaurs living on islands were also flightless.

[@azhaddad64]

Birds that do not fly remained on islands, those who can fly, flew away.

[@abilawaandamari8366]

Kiwi birds, the most useless bird.

[@Mecanotech]

@@azhaddad64 jajajaja

[@Mecanotech]

@@abilawaandamari8366 if they are still alive they are good.

[@ILovHelloKitty13]

Abilawa andamari Have you ever seen a video of one?

[@davidegaruti2582]

the two guy who both came up whit the name titanopterix had very different mentality

[@BenGThomas]

Yeah, even though the name is slightly wasted on a fly, I can appreciate the humour in calling it that :D

[@TragoudistrosMPH]

The Boaty McBoat Face of the old world... lol

[@skybattler2624]

Archeologist: I found a giant carpal bone of a pterosaur and will call it 'Titan wing' Entomologist: I'm gonna end this whole man's career (and yes, Titanopteryxs is a living relative of the gnat and blackflies)

[@hotaruishere2133]

@@TragoudistrosMPH Wait wait wait.... what Is Boaty Mc Boat Face??? I've heard of that before, but I don't know remembee what it is!! xD

[@TragoudistrosMPH]

@@hotaruishere2133 there was a competition to name a research boat, and whatever had the most votes would win... Boaty McBoatface won... the internet can take some people by surprise.

[@sonikku956]

I find it so bizzare that these creatures are considered to be reptiles, in the same way crocodilians are. I have a feeling that pterosaurs would be classified into their own major group like Aves is today (while still technically being reptiles) if they survived the late Cretaceous extinction. Truly magnificent creatures.

[@robokill387]

Well, technically, reptiles are a paraphylettic grouping. Depending on how strict you are, reptiles are either a basket grouping with little basis on the creatures' genetic heritage, or don't exist at all. The more up to date classification is "eureptilia" which includes most modern reptiles, but excludes archosaurs (including crocodilians, birds, dinosaurs and pterosaurs) and synapsids (including therapsids and mammals.) Turtles are controversial, but most include them in eureptilia. If you think that's complicated, you should look up the modern classification of fish, that grouping is also paraphyletic but is *much* worse.

[@iainmawhinney8867]

sonikku956 the triassic saw innovations in body coverings, with pterosaur fur and dinosaur feathers evolving. i guess it shows how established life has become since the permian extinction that we haven’t seen that kind of experimentation since

[@danpeterson114]

Crocodiles are FAR more closely related to Birds, Dinosaurs, and Pterosaurs than they are snakes, lizards and turtles. In fact the former four are Archosaurs, and all have more in common with each other than they do the non archosaurian reptiles.

[@brandonfoley7519]

Well if they survived we night not have as many birds Niche availability right

[@morgrimmoon3426]

@@brandonfoley7519 Less than you'd think. Birds already existed and were fairly widespread during the late Cretaceous, and they were certainly taking over for the smaller pterosaurs, but there wasn't any overlap with the bigger ones. Pterosaurs were the more efficient gliders so I think we'd lack some of the seabirds like albatrosses but the land would be broadly similar.

[@tupandactylushours6928]

These giant death storks never get enough love. Great video!

[@andrewgan557]

Horrible demon thing giant bat - giraffe - stork of death to be more precise.

[@invadergrimm3788]

I like all Azhdarchids they look really Grim like and really cool

[@kanamesuzaku1138]

Andrew Gan this comment is underrated

[@goognamgoognw6637]

the fact that we as human feel so spooked by this thing must be our genes telling us that this thing has everything it needs to hunt and successfully prey on animals similar to our ancestors even though they did not yet exist. That frightening beak probably killed like herons do : impalling preys.

[@filthyanimal874]

Tupandactylus Hours imagine if one of those things crapped on your car

[@Checobeep]

"sp." stands for species pluralis, which is used when the species has not been thoroughly defined or there does not exist enough data. (edit: silly typo)

[@Doc_Fun]

I'm a bio major and I physically recoiled when I heard that.

[@CharlieApples]

I rather like the “spuh” pronunciation

[@sweetcream3353]

Just wanna drop a bit of love on this channel and those who make it possible!

[@BenGThomas]

Thanks! :D

[@a-bird-lover]

This would make for an absolutely killer halloween costume. A human with stilts to stand on all fours has a very similar body structure to a pterosaur, the problem would be the neck...

[@Anna-pj8te]

A Bird Lover for some reason, this made me laugh 😂

[@tec-jones5445]

You could get a paper masche or puppet head of a pterosaur to put on your head.

[@HenrythePaleoGuy]

Funnily enough, there is one on youtube. It's really cool.

[@danpeterson114]

I am planning on building one as I found the perfect head already that was an extra made for a museum exhibit and it is the perfect size for a human size costume. I will post it on youtube when it is done.

[@HenrythePaleoGuy]

Sounds cool!

[@Volvith]

If anyone were present during eons past, they'd think they were on an alien world. What we know is barely a fraction of what lived back then, and what we DO know, is absolutely terrifying.

[@grahamsmith2022]

As incredible as these animals were and incredibly difficult to imagine them living,their methods of locomotion and flight,I often wonder what creatures there are yet to discover hidden in the fossil beds,and having said that,bearing in mind the complex and precise conditions needed to fossilise an organism,even if every fossil was discovered on the planet this would still only be a small fraction of the living organisms that have been on our planet,the majority of which we will never know of.

[@dyland5847]

You're right, it's fascinating to think about. Even the ones we have the best information about, we still can never know for sure how they looked in real life. Of course thats just the nature of things, but I wish I could somehow actually see one of these creatures in real life or in a real photo. I think it's safe to assume that there was as much biodiversity back then as there is now, if not more. When you consider the huge variety of animals on earth today, it's nuts thinking about what existed back then we just don't know about. Other things too like the actual behaviors they had, or the many features that just don't fossilize... There is so so much we don't know. But I think we are also extremely fortunate to live at a time where we get to know as much as we do.

[@grahamsmith2022]

D Joseph that is the truth,we can only ever make educated guesses based on present knowledge of modern living creatures and scientific knowledge,obviously there are direct comparisons between modern and ancient,but often it's the sheer size of these prehistoric creatures that makes them even harder to picture,apart from those images that are pushed into our imaginations by popular culture.I think one thing we can be certain of is these creatures would be truly terrifying,even some of the smaller examples,we would definitely have been on the menu had we been around in those times.

[@cagan1357]

I wish time travel was possible

[@ChromaSoul]

These are really fascinating but they've always been nightmare fuel for me... The thought of a giant bird like that terrifies me lol

[@javierpucheu6150]

I had to came back to re watch part 1, glad part 2 is finally out

[@user-Ou38uwHZ3]

Waiting for Part 2..

[@Stratocaster893]

Still waiting...

[@halogen5580]

and waiting...

[@islamsaied4135]

and waiting

[@WeAllWitnessed]

and waiting...

[@melodyredacted1015]

and waiting...

[@seankennedy5074]

Great video! Please consider doing a video on the Desmostylians, the only order of marine mammals to have gone extinct. There is so little information out there about this fascinating group of animals.

[@DAVIDPETERS12C]

Desmostylians are basal to baleen whales. So they are not extinct, yet. Details here: pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/2016/11/09/the-desmostylian-behemotops-is-basal-to-the-mysticeti-baleen-whales/

[@daliborjovanovic510]

Oh look people, it's the famous nutjob of the paleontological community.

[@DAVIDPETERS12C]

Since this is science, you can run the test yourself. Let us know what you get.

[@seankennedy5074]

No, YOU claim that Desmostylians are basal to baleen whales. You should know that science is not a single determination by a single person based on a single theory.

[@DAVIDPETERS12C]

A cladogram is a hypothesis of relationships. The next step is confirmation or refutation. And so is the next step, etc. etc. That is why I am encouraging others to run the same test. What you assume was falsified by my earlier comment. So why did you even consider it?

[@PMW3]

it must have been amazing to watch these beasts up and flying around.

[@memomorph5375]

I’m thinking about their hunting techniques... could they have been ambush predators like modern storks? Did they peck? Idk

[@Aengus42]

Great episode on my favourite animal. I miss pterosaurs even though I've never seen one in the flesh. But "miss them terribly" is the best way I can describe how I feel about this stunning group. Looking forward to part two!

[@etheriousjackal5577]

Your videos are EXTREMELY underrated! The amount of effort and quality you put into these videos just for a relatively low amount of view is amazing. Just came across this channel and few days ago and love your content. Hope this channel gets more love in the future because it really deserves it. Best of luck! Edit: Just realized this never got a part 2. I love your newer videos too but hope you eventually get around to making one for this!

[@giagarex]

Some random fly researcher: Yeaah, I think I'm gonna name this fly "Titan Wing"

[@hamouz1999]

I study at the University of Jordan. This video is awesome thank you. The Arambourgiania philadelphiae fossil in the university is the most valuable in its collection.

[@ThomasBolling]

Possibly the best educational videos on the web for factual information regarding our prehistoric past. Thank you. I share every chance I get and hope you never stop.

[@comedyman4896]

No matter how many times I see it, my mind simply won't accept that this is an actual creature that existed. It looks as though it would break its neck under the weight of its own head, I can't even comprehend how it would ever be airborne.

[@seamuscallaghan8851]

I go to the University of Michigan, and we've been slowly opening a new natural history museum. We just put in a life-sized model of a Quetzalcoatlus in the lobby, and its absolutely enormous.

[@Mikanojo]

@8:17 do we measure Pterosaur in units of Benedict Cumberbatch now?

[@cgomc323]

Your channel is amazing. I’ve always been very interested in several different forms of prehistoric life and your channel gives detailed, specific and well researched analysis on many different prehistoric creatures. Keep up the great work :)

[@Alberad08]

Enjoyed it very much - thank you for uploading these!

[@BenGThomas]

No problem, glad you enjoyed :D

[@Funinightmare]

Uh! Arambourgiania!!! At this time of day! At this time of the year! In this part of KZbin! Uploaded entirely onto this channel! ...May I like this?

[@andreagriffiths3512]

Quetzalcoatlus is my all time fave! 😍

[@oerlikon20mm29]

I am genuinely confused on how they're lineage died out. They hunted small animals and scavenged dead bodies, which all were very prevalent after the asteroid hit. They had the ability to cover large amounts of area, with minimum energy loss, which would greatly help in scavenging for the large sauropod corpses. Those creatures dying is the saddest loss of creatures in my opinion

[@archkull]

I agree but I'd probably die really young from fear if they still roamed the skies today, however.

[@danpeterson114]

Good job Ben, a very accurate short film on Azhdarchids, with an excellent choice of Witton art. I am looking forward to seeing part 2.

[@konewhatsthenamespolicy6308]

Finally someone who puts part one in the descriptions!

[@sarahlynn7354]

WHERE'S PART 2? I'VE BEEN LOOKING & CAN'T FIND ANYTHING! PLEASE MAKE PART 2 ALREADY! I LOVED THIS VIDEO.

[@evodolka]

mad hype for part 2 always love learning about pterosaurs because i hear so little about them

[@BenGThomas]

Yeah I really need to do more about them on this channel...

[@evodolka]

keep up the awesome work, looking forward to what you guys make in the future

[@LoubrielJayneberg]

Ben G Thomas hey was just wondering what happened to part 2?

[@clemfandango3041]

I used to read books and old encyclopaedia type books about all this when I was a youthful chap and these videos are filling my nostalgia up to full brim. Cheers mate i proper love this channel.

[@DJHastingsFeverPitch]

+1 for the Witton art! His book Pterosaur is amazing!

[@jjhggdcqz]

I Love Pterosaurs! I'm excited for part 2! And I hope you can do more beyond part 2 perhaps examining more pterosaur families!

[@chr0min0id]

Ambi: "Thanks for my awesome name, Titanoperyx!" A fly: *"Sorry that name is taken noob"*

[@mariannepartridge359]

Thank you so much for yet another incredible video! Definitively one of the greatest channels on KZbin. Always looking forward to more videos from your channel, you definitely deserve much more recognition for the brilliant work you do!

[@goognamgoognw6637]

to me, the most scary giant thing that lived, especially considering it could watch and swoop on you from above and that giant beak sure looks like it could spear preys. It's lower body being so small is scary, it looks like an etheral thing that should not exist because it proportions makes no sense at all which makes it the more terrifying.

[@wrybreadspread]

4:51 When one hears of flying critters in Transylvania, one doesn't immediately think of giant pterosaurs.

[@Rephundos]

Absolute flying units

[@LuigiG145]

Splendid video, Ben! I've definitely been missing out on your content for a few months now. (P.S If this information is useful in any way, the bigger _Quetzalcoatlus northropi_ is the type species. So if _Q. northropi_ and _Quetzalcoatlus sp._ turn out to be different animals, then the smaller one should be the one given a different name. )

[@anonymousone6182]

I knew there were large birds back then, but theses guys are on godzilla level.

[@Popebug]

They weren't birds.

[@Zabi-S]

As a PhD student in palaeontology, I approve of this video. Very well made and detailed. Great work.

[@mathewklatil5455]

good

[@paulbags123]

You guys are still churning out top quality material I see😊✌

[@williamneill5441]

Very good. These creatures are truly fascinating. Look forward to part 2.

[@hunchedproductions]

Everything's bigger in Texas, even our dang'ole Dino-Birds.

[@dondragmer2412]

They also lived in many other places besides Texas. Montana, Alberta, France, Morocco. They've been found on every continent except Antarctica. And Texas doesn't now have the biggest bears.

[@kaidoaboveakainu.622]

Flyings giraffes

[@dondragmer2412]

But carnivorous. More like flying featherless giraffe-sized storks.

[@veggieboyultimate]

Um Ben g Thomas? Did you happen to cancel part 2 for this video? Cuz there was a lot of people waiting for that.

[@thomasdrinkmoore9827]

Amazing content you guys!!! So interesting and informative! Awesome :-)

[@HisameArtwork]

Awesome thank you! I've been looking for what animals I could use in my sci-fi novel.

[@kornchaiwongkiat7218]

The smaller previously unnamed species of Quetzalcoatlus is now named Quetzalcoatlus lawsoni

[@maureensurdez7841]

Fantastic ‘Audubon’ detail/style art in some frames. Very nice work. I am becoming a huge fan of this site.

[@nightlyjambles6114]

Your videos are excellently worded and very professional, to say that I'm hooked would be an understatement.

[@sarahlynn4798]

I love rewatching these videos!

[@mhorram]

What interests me about this episode is the design of this pterosaur. When imagining its wings spread out full (like a sea bird catching an updraft) and the animal's long neck strait out in front of the body actually reminds me of the design of the Klingon D7 or K'Tinga class battle cruiser from Star Trek. Of course the battle cruiser had a somewhat bulbous fore section but removing the Azhdarchids bill would make it pretty close. I think I noticed this based on the artist's conception of this animal as shown at Time 0:07 to 0:12 [Actually, the artist's conception starting at time 9:57 may show what I'm talking about even better.] I would say that the artist's depiction here might mean that this pterosaur might have been able to bend its wing to conform to the wing form of these Star Trek vessels. The interesting thing is the design of the Klingon Battle Cruiser goes way back to 1967 well before the first Azhdarchid remains were complete to show the form of the animal. I guess life does sometimes imitate art or is it the other way around in this case?

[@whangadude]

Just got recommended your channel today by the algorithm, is there a Part 2 anywhere?

[@jacobcox4565]

Azdarchids are one of my favorite groups of prehistoric creatures, Quetzalcoatlus is high up on my top 10 favorite prehistoric animals.

[@BrewBlaster]

Thanks Again and I look forward to Part II

[@londoncintron680]

You know you're having a rough time when your name is already taken by a fly of all things.

[@DanielAlvarez-gs5yj]

I have genuinely no clue how something so large with such a huge head with such proportionally small wings was able to fly. if I discovered the fossils of this animal, I'd either assume that it could only glide or it was a transitional stage between flying pterosaurs and completely terrestrial ones

[@The_Robert.Fletcher]

What wonderful animals and thanks for bringing them to us. I eagerly await part2.

[@firegator6853]

7:22 hahaha you gotta be kidding me 😂😂😂

[@lukeskywalkerjediknight2.013]

😂😂😂

[@pauls5745]

3:45 Quetzacoatlus "spuh" ??? lol "sp." is an abbr for species

[@SurfbyShootin]

With such large heads its a wonder of how they get in the air. What if they had voluminous manes of downy pycnofibers where their extended necks assisting in their quadrupedal launch the way a airborne dandelion seeds catch the air?

[@ismata3274]

winged dandelions........ that i want to see 😎🤣😂😆😍 hmm, how about adding tails like those rainforest birds for balance. i think that would make these look like the mythic quetzocoatl.

[@michaelbarnes7351]

I did not know about this kind of animal,thank you for making this channel.

[@DarthBrutal]

Can't wait for part 2, your videos are so interesting

[@cennethadameveson3715]

Great video. As always I learn something new!

[@briannyamosi7406]

You are awesome buddy. Good stuff

[@Gagnon4234]

One small blue marble of a planet in an unremarkable galaxy of a vast universe. Thanks to Ben G Thomas and a host of other wonderful people we can begin to understand the history of amazing creatures that made Earth a special place. At least to us. Consider the possibilities that exist in a trillion galaxy universe. That's way above my pay grade.

[@Deform-2024]

Have you ever heard of "Dracula"? It's believed to be the biggest confirmed specimen of Azdarchid Pterosaur ever found. It might be bigger than even Hatzegopteryx. Edit: There is also fossils of an equally sized Pterosaur from Mongolia. Plus, another giant pterosaur was discovered in Argentina.

[@davidegaruti2582]

Argentina : whatever dinosaur you have we have it bigger

[@BenGThomas]

I've seen Dracula mentioned in places, it would be very cool if it turned out to be the biggest so far. Haven't heard of the other ones though. Seems there are many more giant Azhdarchids out there! :)

[@bkjeong4302]

Dracula is likely a really big Hatzegopteryx according to Witton. The Mongolian and Argentine giants are indeed new taxa; looks like there are nearly a dozen azhdarchids in that size range (there’s also one from Dinosaur Park and another from France)

[@turkey4802]

I think Dracula was debunked and it’s just a hatzegopteryx

[@Deform-2024]

@@turkey4802 It most likely is, I wish Dracula was fully described. Too bad the person died during the middle of studying it.

[@spinosaur1156]

In awe of the size of these lads!

[@annab.5724]

It seems like we are piecing together these animals incorrectly, because it is so difficult to conceive how such a large, unusually-shaped body could exist, much less achieve flight. And yet, all evidence thus far shows they did indeed. Nature is incredible! Thank you for all the work and research that goes into your videos. It can't be easy to make these, especially so often.

[@GerardWay4President]

That has to be one of the scariest prehistoric animals I’ve ever seen.

[@balthiersgirl2658]

Yet another wonderful video thank you

[@KING-tv8ci]

Between Ben G. Thomas and Moth Light Media, the future fascination with natural history among the new generation is in good hands.

[@fraserhenderson7839]

sp.? wow! Maybe Arambourgiania could lend it a syllable or 2. As always, very enjoyable stuff, stands out from the crowd.

[@magiv4205]

Petition to let the REAL Titanopteryx reclaim the name it deserves

[@DrWoodyII]

A really great presentation, I really enjoy learning about these magnificent animals. Thank you for sharing. One small suggestion, for us old farts, a slightly slower tempo would be greatly appreciated.

[@cheaplaughkennedy2318]

Really great content, very interesting.

[@MattTheriot]

Can't wait for part 2!

[@seanledden4397]

Alas for the name Titanopteryx! That it went to a fly is bitter indeed. :( But your video is great. :)

[@CharlesOffdensen]

Ben, how big can a flying creature get in theory?

[@YaBoiDREX]

CharlesOffdensen Quetzalcoatlus is basically pushing the limits on what is physically possible

[@pc_screen5478]

I mean planes can also fly can't they

[@mathewklatil5455]

@@pc_screen5478 But they dont flap with their wings, so.

[@Ansonidak]

I can't find part 2. I was really looking forward to learning how these critters flew.

[@AlexTheGamePlan]

1:22 Who made that picture. Can some one give me a link to it?

[@submarineinthesky8946]

I don't know how I found this channel but I am eternally grateful to the algorithm gods

[@davidletasi3322]

Just discovered a humerus of an Azhdarchid pterosaur from the Kem Kem, we thought at first that it was a baby Spinosaurus humerus but its paper thin bone structure and proximal spatulate shape gave it away as a pterosaur. This humerus is in the size range of Leptostomia (130mm) recently found turkey sized Azhdarchid last year in the same deposit. We recently studied the humerus of Quetzacoutalus at the University of Texas paleontology lab in Austin. It demonstrates the extreem size range of each individual species.

[@melonyswife]

you better release part two before the one year anniversary of this video

[@sharkfinbite]

I still find it amazing that these an animals did not have eyes positioned in a way they could see in front of them without turning their head to the side to look. They had a blind spot... and it was in the front and back of the head. This seriously makes me wonder how on earth were some of these able to dive into water to swim for prey. It's mind blowing. I think this is another major factor contributing to their extinction. I know some of a lot of birds are the same way, and are successful and easy to adapt. The problem is most of these type of birds are not predators, or at least not advance top tier predators. Most of the higher tier predatory birds are not going to have this eye positioning and type of site. Somehow these pterosaurs had this style. It just brings up a lot of questions.

[@lemmingscanfly5]

I don’t know if it’d be scarier to see one of these galloping at you or flying at you.

[@StephiSensei26]

Very COOL Ben!

[@behrensf84]

Would be cool if we still had those kinds of flying animals today...

[@admiralcat3809]

Lmao that fly has an even more intimidating name than a giant living airplane

[@karenboy1005]

I'm quite proud that I live in the same country as Hatzegopteryx did. Although it's a bit sad that it doesn't get nearly as much attention as Quetza does....

[@logansmith2703]

Can't wait for part 2.

[@slight7596]

One of my favorite prehistoric animals yet somehow tend to forget about them

[@surgeonsergio6839]

I'd love to have these 3 giants in Prehistoric Kingdom.

[@hatusnee]

lol i really feel like these are inaccurate reconstructions and were gonna be laughing at ourselves in the future