Mistralazhdarcho

Mistralazhdarcho is a genus of azhdarchid pterosaur that lived during the Campanian and Maastrichtian ages of the Late Cretaceous period in what is now France. A rich fossil site was discovered in 1992 by paleontologist Xavier Valentin at Velaux–La Bastide Neuve, in the south of France. Pterosaur fossil remains would be subsequently uncovered in the site. They were found in a layer of the Aix-en-Provence Basin at Velaux–La Bastide Neuve and consist of a partial skeleton that includes the skull. These remains would later be made the holotype specimen of the new genus and type species Mistralazhdarcho maggii, named and described in 2018 by Valentin, along with paleontologists Romain Vullo, Géraldine Garcia, Pascal Godefroit, and Aude Cincotta. The generic name combines the mistral, a typical northern wind from the area, and the related genus Azhdarcho. The specific name honors Jean-Pierre Maggi, the mayor of Velaux, who supported the La Bastide Neuve paleontological project.

Based on extrapolations of the size of its humerus and the wingspan of the related pterosaur Zhejiangopterus, the estimated wingspan for the holotype specimen of Mistralazhdarcho sits between 4.24 to 4.85 m (13.9 to 15.9 ft). However, the holotype is not fully grown. Wingspans of adult individuals are estimated to have measured between 5 to 6 m (16 to 20 ft). By comparing its fossil remains to those of its relatives, Mistralazhdarcho seems to have shared the most features with the genus Aerotitan from Argentina.

Mistralazhdarcho was assigned to the family Azhdarchidae by Vullo and colleagues, though a cladistic analysis was not made in its description. Later studies would include Mistralazhdarcho in their phylogenetic analyses, but its placement varies depending on the study. Within Azhdarchidae, some have recovered Mistralazhdarcho in the subfamily Azhdarchinae, while others in Quetzalcoatlinae. However, its position as the sister taxon of Aerotitan has always been consistent. Because of its size, Mistralazhdarcho most likely represents a mid-sized class of European azhdarchid, its contemporary relatives in Europe were either small or gigantic.