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Zhejiangopterus


Among the giant pterosaurs of the late Cretaceous period, Zhejiangopterus stands out for what it didn't have: any ostentatious ornaments or crests on its head (other giants flying reptiles, like Tapejara and Tupuxuara, sported big, bony crests that may have supported colorful flaps of skin). Also, Zhejiangopterus stood apart thanks to its unusually long neck and long, pointy head, not to mention its extra-long legs--which made it look a bit like its much bigger relative Quetzalcoatlus. Rarely for a giant pterosaur, paleontologists in China have found multiple, more-or-less intact fossils of Zhejiangopterus (since pterosaur bones are light and hollow, the better to allow these creatures to soar through the air, they tend not to preserve as well as the bones of terrestrial dinosaurs).

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