Mistralazhdarcho maggii is an azhdarchid pterosaur from Campanian deposits at Velaux–La Bastide Neuve in south-eastern France. Its holotype, MMS/VBN.09.C.001, preserves cranial and postcranial bones found close together and attributed to one subadult individual. The authors estimated its wingspan at about 4.5 metres and suggested that mature animals might have reached 5–6 metres. That larger value is an extrapolation from an immature skeleton. The pterosaur catalogue shows where this intermediate estimate sits among the much wider range of known pterosaur sizes.
Quick facts
| Name | Mistralazhdarcho maggii Vullo et al., 2018 |
|---|---|
| Group | Pterosauria, Azhdarchidae |
| Age | Campanian, Late Cretaceous |
| Place | Velaux–La Bastide Neuve, Bouches-du-Rhône, France |
| Holotype | MMS/VBN.09.C.001, associated partial skeleton |
| Growth | Subadult, not fully skeletally mature |
| Wingspan | About 4.5 m estimated for the type; 5–6 m proposed for adults |
What can the fossils tell us?
The bones are incomplete and not a fully articulated skeleton, though the authors considered them one individual.
The fossil’s 4.5 m span is estimated; the larger adult estimate is extrapolated.
Similarity to other azhdarchids may inform relationships, but one shared feature does not prove a direct ancestor link.
Fieldwork at Velaux
The pterosaur fossils were recovered during field campaigns in 2009 and 2012 at Velaux–La Bastide Neuve, near Velaux in the Bouches-du-Rhône department of south-eastern France. Romain Vullo and colleagues named Mistralazhdarcho maggii in 2018. The generic name recalls the mistral wind of the region, while the species honours Jean-Pierre Maggi, who supported work at the locality.
Holotype MMS/VBN.09.C.001 consists of cranial and postcranial elements found in close association. The authors considered them to belong to one individual. The material includes parts of the lower jaw, neck and trunk vertebrae, shoulder girdle, humerus, forearm and wing. It is more informative than a single isolated bone but is still partial and not preserved as a complete articulated skeleton.
Growth stage and estimated span
The authors estimated a wingspan of about 4.5 metres for the holotype by comparing its incomplete wing with better-known pterosaurs. Several features indicate that the animal was skeletally immature: the humeral head has a pitted surface, and an extensor tendon process had not fused to the first wing-finger phalanx. The study described it as subadult rather than a fully mature individual.
On that basis, the authors proposed that larger mature individuals might have reached 5–6 metres across the wings. This is a growth extrapolation, not a measurement from an adult Mistralazhdarcho. The estimate places it between medium-sized and giant European azhdarchids in the study’s comparison, but new mature material could change the range.
A jaw that shaped the comparison
The preserved mandibular symphysis turns slightly downward and has a V-shaped cross-section. A distinct median eminence rises from its upper surface near the front. The authors noted a similar feature in Alanqa and suggested a close relationship, while recognizing that the position depends on the larger phylogenetic analysis. An anatomical resemblance is evidence for comparison, not proof that one genus descended from the other.
The partial jaw does not preserve a meal or settle the animal’s feeding method. Azhdarchids are often reconstructed as terrestrial foragers, but that broad ecological model cannot specify what this individual ate. Its habitat reconstruction draws on the river and floodplain deposits at the site, not on a preserved scene of behaviour.
A regional size class, with caveats
The original paper discussed Mistralazhdarcho as evidence for an intermediate azhdarchid size in Late Cretaceous European ecosystems. That comparison is useful, but the only known individual was immature and its span is estimated. The secure record is an associated partial skeleton, a distinctive lower jaw, and an animal that had not completed skeletal growth.
Frequently asked questions
Was Mistralazhdarcho fully grown?
No. The type is skeletally immature and was described as a subadult.
How wide were its wings?
The type’s span was estimated at about 4.5 metres; 5–6 metres for mature animals is an extrapolation.
What bones are preserved?
The associated partial skeleton includes jaw and vertebral material, shoulder bones, humerus, forearm and wing elements.
Did it live with other dinosaurs?
The Velaux locality records a diverse Late Cretaceous terrestrial fauna, but that context does not establish the pterosaur’s specific diet or behaviour.