Fossil reconstruction of Dracula
Dracula is a nickname given to an undescribed fossil specimen of large azhdarchid pterosaur that lived in Romania during the Late Cretaceous. It currently represents the largest known azhdarchid species thus far. [1] While its classification has not been given, similarities to the genus Hatzegopteryx have been noted.
Discovery[]
The fossil of Dracula was first discovered in 2009 near the town of Sebeș in Transylvania, Romania. The paleontologists nicknamed their specimen “Dracula.” The specimen consisted of a partial mandible, neck vertebrae, and upper arm bones.
The specimen was rather fragmentary, but paleontologists reconstructed the animal to a size reaching around 3.5 meters high with an estimated 12-meter wingspan. This reconstruction is now on display as part of a exhibit at the Altmühltal Dinosaur Museum in Denkendorf, Germany. The exhibit also separately showcases the original specimen’s excavated bones.
Researchers are not sure whether pterosaurs this size could actually fly. According to the exhibit’s introductory information there is no conclusive evidence to the contrary, but Dracula has a wrist joint that differs greatly from that of other species that have been found, which could mean it was not meant for flight. But if it did fly, Dracula would have been the largest flying animal in natural history.[2]