Pterosaurs with largest wingspan – Top 10
Pterosaurs were flying reptiles but not flying dinosaurs. They lived 162 mln years from the late Triassic to the end of the Cretaceous Period – 228 to 66 million years ago. Pterosaurs were the earliest vertebrates known to have evolved powered flight. Their wings were formed by a membrane of skin, muscle, and other tissues stretching from the ankles to a incredible lengthened fourth finger.
Pterosaurs spanned a wide range of adult sizes, from the very small Nemicolopterus (with a wingspan of about 250 mm (10 in)) to the largest known flying creatures of all time, including Quetzalcoatlus and Hatzegopteryx.
Pterosaurs with largest wingspan – Top 10
- Arambourgiania philadelphiae 7–13 m (23–43 ft)
- Hatzegopteryx thambema 10–11 m (33–36 ft)
- Quetzalcoatlus northropi 10–11 m (33–36 ft)
- Undescribed specimen from Mongolia 10 m (33 ft)
- Undescribed specimen UNCUYO-LD 350 9.1 m (30 ft)
- Tropeognathus mesembrinus 8.2 m (27 ft)
- Geosternbergia maysei 7.25 m (24 ft)
- Arambourgiania philadelphiae 7 m (23 ft) or 10-13 m (33–42.7 ft)
- Coloborhynchus capito 7 m (23 ft)
- Moganopterus zhuiana 7 m (23 ft)
- Pteranodon longiceps 6.25 m (20.5 ft)
- Tupuxuara longicristatus 6 m (20 ft)
- Santanadactylus araripensis 5.7 m (19 ft)
- Cearadactylus atrox 5.5 m (18 ft)
- Caulkicephalus trimicrodon 5 m (16 ft)
- Istiodactylus latidens 5 m (16 ft)
- Lacusovagus magnificens 5 m (16 ft)
- Liaoningopterus gui 5 m (16 ft)
- Phosphatodraco mauritanicus 5 m (16 ft)
The largest pterosaurs – update year 2018
No | Pterosaur | Wingspan [m] |
61 | Piksi barbarulna | 1.0 |
60 | “Ornithocheirus” bunzeli | 1.5 |
59 | Hell Creek pteranodontian | 1.5 |
58 | Nyctosauridae KJ1 | 1.7 |
57 | Alcione sp. | 1.8 |
56 | Nyctosauridae KJ2 | 2.0 |
55 | Alcione (small morph) | 2.1 |
54 | DPP small azhdarchid (TMP 1982.16.303, humerus) | 2.4 |
53 | Pui Beds Azhdarchid | 2.4 |
52 | Alcione elainus | 2.4 |
51 | Montanazhdarcho minor | 2.5 |
50 | Lance Formation azhdarchid | 2.5 |
49 | Kaiparowits Azhdarchid | 2.8 |
48 | Nyctosaurus bonneri (FHSM 2148) | 2.9 |
47 | Eurazhdarcho langendorfensis | 3.0 |
46 | Fox-Amphoux azhdarchid | 3.0 |
45 | Iharkut azhdarchid | 3.3 |
44 | Lano azhdarchid | 3.3 |
43 | Zhejiangopterus linhaiensis | 3.5 |
42 | Navajodactylus boeri | 3.5 |
41 | Bogolubovia orientalis | 3.5 |
40 | Bakonydraco galaczi | 3.8 |
39 | DPP medium azhdarchid (TMP 87.36.16, metacarpal IV) | 3.8 |
38 | Miria formation azhdarchid | 3.8 |
37 | Nyctosaurus gracilis (YPM 2395) | 3.9 |
36 | Barbaridactylus grandis | 4.0 |
35 | Nyctosaurus lamegoi | 4.0 |
34 | Hell Creek azhdarchid MPM 8075 | 4.2 |
33 | Saratov Azhdarchid | 4.3 |
32 | DPP medium azdarchid (TMP 1992.83.4; | 4.5 |
31 | aff. Quetzalcoatlus | 4.6 |
30 | Pteranodon longiceps | 4.9 |
29 | Tethydraco | 5.0 |
28 | Dawndraco kanzai | 5.0 |
27 | Phosphatodraco mauritanicus | 5.0 |
26 | Quetzalcoatlus sp | 5.0 |
25 | Jordanian azhdarchid | 5.0 |
24 | Unnamed Transylvanian Taxon | 5.0 |
23 | Simurghia robustus | 5.0 |
22 | Geosternbergia sternbergi | 5.3 |
21 | La Solana azhdarchid | 5.5 |
20 | YPM-PU 16619 | 5.7 |
19 | Volgadraco bogolubovi | 5.7 |
18 | Javelina azhdarchid TMM 42489 | 5.8 |
17 | Merchantville pteranodontid | 5.9 |
16 | Two Medicine azhdarchid (YPM-PU 22446) | 5.9 |
15 | Aralazhdarcho bostobensis | 6.3 |
14 | DPP large azhdarchid (1992.83.01, wing metacarpal) | 6.6 |
13 | Hokkaido pteranodontid | 6.8 |
12 | Pteranodon longiceps | 6.9 |
11 | DPP large azhdarchid (TMP 1989.36.254, cervical) | 7.4 |
10 | Merignon azhdarchid | 8.5 |
9 | Sidi Chennane Giant | 9.0 |
8 | Hell Creek Azhdarchid | 9.8 |
7 | Transylvania giant azhdarchid | 10.0 |
6 | Quetzalcoatlus northropi | 10.1 |
5 | Hatzegopteryx thambema | 10.5 |
4 | Top Bozes Formation/ Petresti Giant Azhdarchid | 10.5 |
3 | Sebes Formation / Rapa Rosie azhdarchid | 10.5 |
2 | Nemegt Azhdarchid | 11.0 |
1 | Arambourgiania philadelphiae | 12.5 |
