Fun Bakonydraco Facts For Kids

Bakonydraco was one of the first flying reptiles that ever lived on earth. They lived on earth during the Santonian stage of the upper cretaceous period.

The fossils of this animal were found in the Bakony mountains of Western Hungary and so were given the name by Jianu, David Weishampal, and  Attila Ősi. Bakonydraco means the dragons of the Bakony.

The fossil remains belonged to the only one type species of this genus and it was named Bakonydraco galaczi where galaczi honors the name of the professor who helped with the research program.

The remains recovered included azhdarchid wing bones, neck vertebrae, fused lower jaws, and a mandibula. After multiple research studies, it was confirmed to have lower jaws fused together which gave a blade-like appearance.

The jaws were almost 11.4 in (29 cm) long and the jaw structure has kept researchers confused if they were a piscivore thereby eating small fish as food or a frugivore thereby eating fruits, seeds, and nuts as food.

There was also a mistake in the classification of this animal. At first, this genus was classified as an azhdarchid but later after multiple phylogenetic studies on the remains, it was put under the classification of tapejarid.

Although confirmed to be a tapejarid of the upper cretaceous era Brian Andreas and his fellow workers classified this reptile to a further sub-category Tapejarini. But in 2020 David Martill and his fellow workers conducted a phylogenetic analysis and classified this reptile under the sub-category Senopterinae but in the most basal position.

Bakonydraco Interesting Facts

Was the Bakonydraco a dinosaur?

Bakonydraco were pterosaurs and not dinosaurs and they were considered to be a species of flying reptiles of the late cretaceous period.

How do you pronounce 'Bakonydraco'?

These pterosaurs of the late cretaceous of Hungary were named Bakonydraco and the type species was named Bakonydraco galaczi in the year 2005 by Jianu Coralia, David Weishample, and Attila Ősi. The name Bakonydraco is pronounced as 'Bah-coe-ny-dray-ko'.

What type of prehistoric flying bird was a Bakonydraco?

Based on fossil studies it has been found that they were marine flying birds. Although initially, scientists thought they were a part of the family Azhdarchid eventually after various phylogenetic studies they have been considered pterosaurs included under the family of Tapejarid.

In which geological period did the Bakonydraco live?

Based on various studies on the available fossils it has been stated that Bakonydraco existed during the Santonian stage of the late cretaceous period of Hungary, which is almost 86.3 and 83.6 million years ago.

When did the Bakonydraco become extinct?

Research studies have shown that Bakonydraco lived on the earth till the end of the Santonian stage of the late cretaceous period, which is almost 83.6 million years ago.

Where did a Bakonydraco live?

The fossils were discovered in Hungary and research on this flying reptile have shown that they used to live in the Csehbánya Formation which is now the Bakony mountains of Western Hungary.

What was a Bakonydraco's habitat?

These pterosaurs are considered to be marine animals and they used to live near water resources for this very reason they are also considered piscivores which means they had a food diet that included small fish.

Few researchers also believe them to be frugivores and they ate fruits, seeds, and nuts and this statement was made based on their jaw formation.

Who did a Bakonydraco live with?

There are no available Bakonydraco prehistoric wildlife data stating with whom a Bakonydraco lived.

How long did a Bakonydraco live?

Although multiple fossil research studies have been made, there is no information available stating the full lifespan of a Bakonydraco.

How did they reproduce?

A Bakonydraco is considered to be a pterosaur and it is believed that pterosaurs had oviparous reproduction like most other reptiles so they used to reproduce by laying eggs.

Bakonydraco Fun Facts

What did a Bakonydraco look like?

They had short bodies with a huge wingspan, the wings were fused to the long fourth finger of the animal and extended to the side of the body. They also had a long thin neck with a skull that had long jaws.

*We've been unable to source an image of Bakonydraco and have used an image of Pterosaur instead. If you are able to provide us with a royalty-free image of Bakonydraco, we would be happy to credit you. Please contact us at hello@kidadl.com.

How many bones did a Bakonydraco have?

No complete skeleton fossils have been found of this Pterosauria species so there is no information available regarding the total number of bones in a Bakonydraco.

How did they communicate?

There is no data available that tells us about the various communicative methods of a Bakonydraco.

How big was a Bakonydraco?

No data regarding the complete Bakonydraco size is available but based on the fossil studies they are known to have a short body with a very long wingspan of about 11.5-13.1 ft (3.5-4 m), and they are also known to have a long jaw which was almost 11.4 in (29 cm) in length.

How fast could a Bakonydraco move?

These Pterosauria species were known to have very good flying skills. Their wings were fused to the body and the long fourth finger which was just perfect for fast flying.

How much did a Bakonydraco weigh?

No information relating to the weight of a Bakonydraco is available.

What were the male and female names of the species?

No separate names have been assigned to the male and female of the genus.

What would you call a baby Bakonydraco?

No separate baby name has been assigned for a baby Bakonydraco.

What did they eat?

There are multiple conceptions regarding what this genus ate. Based on studies on the jaw fossils found the researchers think they would have been either piscivore eating small fishes as food or a frugivore eating raw fruits, seeds, and nuts as food.

How aggressive were they?

The behavioral pattern of this genus is unknown but any animal on earth including this genus should be aggressive enough to try protecting itself from predators.

Did You Know…

The only known type species of this genus is Bakonydraco galaczi.

The name Bakonydraco means dragon of the Bakony mountains.

The name galaczi honors professor András Galácz who helped the research program.

Only one fossil was ever dug out of this species.

The structure of the jaws is compatible with being both frugivores and piscivores and for this reason, researchers are still confused about what they actually ate.

The first classification of this pterosaur was an azhdarchid but multiple recent studies stated that they were tapejarid.

This animal had a perfectly built body and especially wings for perfect flying and so was considered a very good flying reptile.

This genus has been further classified in 2020 to be a basal Senopterinae, which is a sub-category of tapejarid by David Martill and his colleagues.

What fossils are the Bakonydracos known from?

The fossils of this genus were discovered in Hungary and they included azhdarchid wing bones, neck vertebrae, fused lower jaws, and a mandibula.

What continent did the Bakonydraco live on?

This genus of the tapejarid was known to have lived in the Csehbánya Formation, which is now the Bakony mountains of western Hungary. In the present geological formation, Hungary is situated in the continent of Europe.

*We've been unable to source an image of Bakonydraco and have used an image of Pterosaur instead. If you are able to provide us with a royalty-free image of Bakonydraco, we would be happy to credit you. Please contact us at hello@kidadl.com.