Bennettazhia is a genus of pterosaur that lived in the early Cretaceous period in Oregon. It was thought to be a genus of Pteranodon.
Discovery and History[]
In 1928 Charles Gilmore found the remains of a pterosaur and named it as a new species of Pteranodon. P. oregonensis. It was found in the Hudspeth Formation in Oregon, United States. It was then discovered that the remnants were like that of Nyctosaurus but larger.
In 1989 S. Christopher Bennett thought that they belonged to an azhdarchid pterosaur instead of a pteranodontid. In 1991 paleontologist Lev Nesov erected the genus Bennettazhia. Meaning after Bennett. It was later found out that it might be a member of the Thalassodrominae.
In 2023 fossilized excrement of Bennettazhia suggested that it fed on mollusks and other shellfish.
Description[]
Bennettazhia was a medium sized pterosaur with a wingspan of 4 meters.
Classification[]
Bennettazhia was a member of the Tapejaromorpha.