Hatzegopteryx fossil map
Where fossils of Hatzegopteryx have been found, shown on the Earth as it looked about 66 million years ago and on today’s map.
Dots are fossil collections recorded in the Paleobiology Database. The “then” view moves today’s fossil sites back to their positions 66 million years ago (the time slice nearest the median age of the fossils) using the Merdith et al. (2021) plate model; positions are approximate. Open on the timeline map →
| Group | Pterosaurs |
|---|---|
| Lived | 72.2–66 million years ago (Maastrichtian) |
| Periods | Cretaceous |
| Family | Azhdarchidae |
| Named by | Buffetaut et al. 2002 |
| Fossil records | 4 occurrences at 4 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | Romania |
| Rock formations | Densuș-Ciula, Sebeş, Râul Mare |
About Hatzegopteryx
Hatzegopteryx ("Hațeg basin wing") is a genus of azhdarchid pterosaur found in the late Maastrichtian deposits of the Densuș-Ciula Formation, an outcropping in Transylvania, Romania. It is known only from the type species, Hatzegopteryx thambema, named by paleontologists Eric Buffetaut, Dan Grigorescu, and Zoltan Csiki in 2002 based on parts of the skull and humerus. Additional specimens, including a neck vertebra, were later placed in the genus, representing a range of sizes. The largest of these remains indicate it was among the biggest pterosaurs, with an estimated wingspan of 10 to 12 m (33 to 39 ft).
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Hatzegopteryx (revision 1352273204), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0; introduction excerpted verbatim, formatting removed. Ages, family, authority and fossil records: Paleobiology Database, accessed 22 October 2026. Ages are those of the rock layers the fossils were found in. Wikidata: Q133849.
