Azhdarchid

Azdarchids


The azdcharids are a diverse fami ly of flying animals and the only living family of pterosaurs. They are generally recognized by having long necks, big heads and scizor like jaws although they come in many different varieties.

Ra's Ra’s are a paraphyletic group of azhdarchids that have kept a conservative body plan which resembles azhdarchids from the Mesozoic. They are able to soar large distances but are usually found on the ground where they hunt small to medium sized vertebrates as well as carrion and dung. Having no natural predators when healthy means that Ra’s often have some of the most elaborate and colorful crests of all azhdarchids. Their intelligence differs greatly, reflecting their fairly diverse ancestry.

Noreh’s

Soarers The rapid global cooling at the end of the Eocene was a death sentence for the already struggling Ornithocheirids. They were quickly replaced by their azhdarchid cousins, however their toothlessness was a problem as It made it difficult to snag fish from the water. This was solved by evolving pseudo-teeth on their tounges just like their very distant relatives the penguins. A diet of large fish in the biologically rich oceans of the Cenozoic has allowed these pterosaurs to become huge even by Azhdarchid standards, in fact the largest flying animal in the history of life was an antarctic species of Soarer from the late Miocene. Soarers are the slowest extant pterosaurs on land but are still faster than most Mesozoic species. Their wings tend to be shaped like those of HE's tropic birds although there is plenty of variation.

Described Species: Killer Soarer

Wyverns At first glance wyverns look a lot like Ra's. However while ra's are generally hunters of small game Wyverns are macropredators that hunt large animals such as dinosaurs, crocs and taeniodonts. They have beaks to prove it too (their beaks resemble those of HE's extinct terror birds.) Wyverns tend to have very long broad wings which look very imposing. Unlike other pterosaurs their feet are semi-flexible and some species can carry off prey with them. They tend to have the dullest colours among pterosaurs with uniformely black, brown or grey pycnofibers with a couple exceptions.

Parapigs These bizzare looking animals are incredibly similair to the long extinct Dsungaripterids although they can easily be identified as azhdarchids by their limb orientation and lack of teeth. They are ferocious omnivores laregly restricted to the Australasian reigon although a few species are found in other parts of tge world. They are highly terrestrial to the point where they can only fly as well as HE's ground birds such as turkeys or chickens. Their beaks make quick work of the nuts and fruits that comprise most of their diet but they can crush bones as well. Like their closest relatives, the fruitbills, they tend to garishly colored headcrests which are larger on the males.

Fruitbills Without a doubt this is one of the most startiling cases of convergance in this timeline. When first discovered the Fruitbills were thought to be living tapejarids! It took an extensive look into the limb anatomy, as well as genetic evidence before scientists determined their true origin as azhdarchids. Given their convergence of tapejarids and basal fruitbills it has given many insights into the life style of those extinct pterosaurs. All fruitbills are primarily herbivorous although most will still eat small animals when given the chance. Most Frutibills are largely aboreal, with the main exception being the bizzare lanks. Most species are frugivores although some have a more leafy diet and lanks are grazers. They have garrishly colored headcrests that are used in spectacular mating displays.