Giant Pterosaur Fossil Unearthed in Moroccan Phosphate Deposits

The fossil remains of Phosphatodraco, a flying reptile belonging to the Azhdarchidae family, have been found in Morocco. These remains consist of five cervical vertebrae close to each other but not in anatomical connection, reports the Lyell Collection site. There is a striking resemblance to the vertebrae of the Azhdarchidae Quetzalcoatlus and Azhdarcho in their elongation, the presence of vestigial neural spines, prezygapophyseal tubercles, a pair of ventral sulci (grooves) near the prezygapophyses and the absence of pneumatic foramina (holes) on the lateral surfaces of the vertebral bodies.

According to research conducted by the paleontologist and dinosaur specialist Xabier Pereda Suberbiola and his colleagues in 2003, only one species is attributed to the genus. This is Phosphatodraco mauritanicus. It is recognized by its very long 8th cervical vertebra, bearing a prominent neural spine located very far back. "Based on comparisons with the vertebrae of other Azhdarchidae, the wingspan of Phosphatodraco is estimated at nearly 5 meters," the same site specifies, adding that it is the first Azhdarchidae discovered in the Upper Cretaceous of North Africa.