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Quetzalcoatlus Segments

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“ Not many can intimidate North America's top predator, Tyrannosaurus rex, whose size and bite are a deadly combo, except for a giant winged foe. ”

― The official Apple TV+ episode synopsis for North America

These are Prehistoric Planet segments which feature Quetzalcoatlus.

The skull of a Triceratops, with the skulls of a Quetzalcoatlus, Mosasaurus, Barbaridactylus, and a smaller Triceratops skull in the background, appears in the opening of every episode of Prehistoric Planet's second season.

Freshwater[]

Segment 4[]

“ Southern Africa. Here, too, the annual rains create floods. And the land turns into a maze of narrow channels running between countless small islands. This is now a swamp forest. And it attracts one of the largest flying animals that has ever lived on Planet Earth. A giant pterosaur, Quetzalcoatlus. This is a female, her wings are over 30 feet across. And she's come here for one particular reason... ”

― David Attenborough, Freshwater

In the fourth segment of Freshwater, South Africa is revealed to have become a swamp forest due to annual rains. A Quetzalcoatlus finds this as a perfect place to lay her eggs, and forms a nest in the damp, swampy soil to prevent her soft-shelled eggs from drying out.

“ She's come here to make a nest. She chooses to do so on damp, swampy soil that will prevent her soft-shelled eggs from drying out. These first two are just the start. For the next three weeks, she will guard the open nest, and add two more eggs every few days. Producing eggs takes a lot of effort and energy. Each one is huge, weighing around a kilo. ”

― David Attenborough, Freshwater

She spends the next three weeks guarding her open nest. A timelapse is shown of the mother azhdarchid walking around her nest, patrolling the area, sleeping alongside her eggs, and standing for long periods of time above her nest to add another pair of melon-sized eggs to the clutch.

“ Eventually, she produces a clutch of a dozen or so. She covers them with vegetation to conceal them. There should be enough food on this island to sustain her youngsters when they hatch. But there's nothing substantial enough here to satisfy her own hunger. She must leave to hunt for prey elsewhere... and trust that isolation of her nest will keep her unhatched young safe while she's away. ”

― David Attenborough, Freshwater

After three weeks, drained by the effort of laying a dozen eggs, the Quetzalcoatlus hides her nest with some vegetation before setting off to find a meal.

Two Quetzalcoatlus intimidating each other before a fight
Two Quetzalcoatlus intimidating each other before a fight
“ Another, much older Quetzalcoatlus female. She too is looking for a safe place to lay her eggs, and there may not be enough food here for two sets of giant nestlings. But there is a way to solve that problem... and, eggs, after all, are very nutritious. ”

― David Attenborough, Freshwater

While she was away, an older female Quetzalcoatlus comes upon the nest, and, in order to eliminate the competition and feed herself as well, she exposes the nest and destroys the eggs one by one, eating some of them. Before she could destroy all of the eggs, the owner of the nest returns just in time to fight off the older female. She attempts to drive off her rival by raising herself on her hind legs and spreading out her wings while bellowing repeatedly. Undeterred, the older females snaps at her, and the two azhdarchids attempt to stab and grab each other, grappling the adversary before them with their long beaks several times.

“ The older female is driven off. But the younger female's nest is wrecked. Out of the dozen eggs that she laid, only three have survived. The success of her breeding season now rests on these three fragile eggs. She will protect them as best as she can until they hatch in a few months' time. But after that, her young will have to fend for themselves. ”

― David Attenborough, Freshwater

Eventually, the older female is forced away. The mother Quetzalcoatlus returns to her nest and finds three-quarters of her hard work undone; only three of her dozen eggs have survived. She will spend the next few months protecting the remaining eggs, and when they finally hatch, she'll leave her spawn to fend for themselves.

Segment 6[]

In the sixth and final segment of Freshwater, Quetzalcoatlus is briefly seen in South America,[1] watching elasmosaurs as they travel down a river.

North America[]

Alamosaurus herd traveling down the shores of the Western Interior Seaway
Alamosaurus herd traveling down the shores of the Western Interior Seaway
“ The coast of the vast, inland sea that almost splits North America in half. Here in the south, as the tide falls, giants are drawn to the shoreline. These Alamosaurs are a hundred feet long, and weigh some 80 tonnes. They are the largest dinosaurs on the continent. So huge that no predator can tackle them. ”

― David Attenborough, North America

In the first segment of North America, by the shores of the Western Interior Seaway, a herd of Alamosaurus travel along a beach. Given their great size, the titanosaurs are able to travel without fear of harm from any predator.

The 70 year-old Alamosaurus collapses
The 70 year-old Alamosaurus collapses
“ Some live to a great age. This male is around 70 years old. Many in the herd are likely to be his offspring. But his long life is now coming to an end. His immense body is beginning to fail him. He may not survive the night. ”

― David Attenborough, North America

As they go around a bend in the path, one 70 year-old male, feeling that his time is up, slowly drops down on the beach, the rest of the herd moving on without him. Accepting that his long life is at its end, the old male lays his head on the sand, closes his eyes, and peacefully passes away.

Troodontids assess the Alamosaurus carcass
Troodontids assess the Alamosaurus carcass
“ Dawn. And these troodontids have picked up a scent. They're quick to investigate anything new, especially if it might be worth eating. But biting through a three inch-thick hide is beyond their power. Very frustrating. ”

― David Attenborough, North America

The next day, a trio of troodontids visit the beach, having smelled the corpse of the recently-deceased titanosaur. Skittishly, they explore and climb atop the dead sauropod, looking for the best part to start their meal. To their frustration, however, the small theropods found themselves unable to bite through the titanosaur's hide, which is three inches thick.

A T. rex forces a troodontid away from the Alamosaurus carcass
A T. rex forces a troodontid away from the Alamosaurus carcass
“ Tyrannosaurus rex. North America's top predator. With his six inch-long teeth, tearing through an Alamosaur's tough skin is not a problem. ”

― David Attenborough, North America

As they continued to attempt to take bites out of the corpse, the troodontids are then scared away by a male Tyrannosaurus, which is easily able to feed on the carcass with his six-inch teeth and bone-crushing bite. One troodontid manages to take one strip of meat as the T. rex feeds before being forced away again.

“ T. rex might be able to bully troodontids, but a carcass as big as this soon attracts more formidable competition... ”

― David Attenborough, North America

The smell of the massive carcass, extremely visible on the open beach, soon attracts the attention of other carnivores. As he is eating his meal, the T. rex soon hears a series of booming calls from above, and turns towards the source of the noise, growling in frustration upon realizing that he can no longer eat the carcass undisturbed.

A T. rex stands against a Quetzalcoatlus wanting to drive him away from the dead Alamosaurus
A T. rex stands against a Quetzalcoatlus wanting to drive him away from the dead Alamosaurus
“ Quetzalcoatlus, a giant pterosaur. One of the few creatures that will challenge an adult tyrannosaur. One strike from its six foot-long beak could easily cost T. rex an eye. Even so, it seems that he's not going to back down. ”

― David Attenborough, North America

A Quetzalcoatlus lands down on the beach, eyeing the dead titanosaur right in front of it. The T. rex roars at the Quetzalcoatlus in an attempt to scare it off, but the azhdarchid pays no heed to the theropod's warnings as it slowly marches towards the carcass. The T. rex turns to face the pterosaur, revealing that his right eye is milky, with a horizontal scar across the eyeball, implied by the narration to have been rendered blind by a prior Quetzalcoatlus attack. As the T. rex continued to growl at it, the azhdarchid paused its advance to test the extent of the T. rex's aggression. Believing that his taller, lankier rival would not attempt to challenge him further than it already has, the T. rex turns back to his meal, prompting the Quetzalcoatlus to try and walk towards the carcass again.

The second Quetzalcoatlus bellows at the T. rex
The second Quetzalcoatlus bellows at the T. rex
“ But the arrival of a second Quetzalcoatlus changes the odds. After all, two beaks are deadlier than one. ”

― David Attenborough, North America

No sooner did the theropod return to eating than another bellow echoed from the skies. Both the T. rex and the Quetzalcoatlus paused to turn their attention to the new arrival. A second Quetzalcoatlus has landed on the beach, letting loose a booming call to challenge the land-bound predator, with the T. rex responding in kind with his own fearsome roar. Emboldened by each other's presence, the two pterosaurs close in on the T. rex.

The two Quetzalcoatlus goad and provoke the T. rex to try and chase them off
The two Quetzalcoatlus goad and provoke the T. rex to try and chase them off

Both Quetzalcoatlus charge in, snapping their beaks to make clear their defiance, but quickly dart away as the aggravated T. rex rushed towards them. Their intent is not to take on their heavier and more powerful adversary head-on, however. Instead, they plan to repeatedly harass and even injure him until they had inflicted enough discomfort to convince him to leave. While one Quetzalcoatlus gets chased off by the T. rex, the other lands atop the Alamosaurus corpse, diverting the T. rex's attention and enraging him even further.

The Quetzalcoatlus assault the T. rex from above and behind
The Quetzalcoatlus assault the T. rex from above and behind

As this azhdarchid gets into a squabbling match with the T. rex, having the annoyed theropod's undivided attention, the other Quetzalcoatlus flies at the T. rex from behind, almost pecking him in the back as it passed overhead. With the T. rex distracted yet again, the other Quetzalcoatlus leaps off the dead Alamosaurus to take part in the aerial harassment. Again and again, the two Quetzalcoatlus strike the T. rex in the back with their long beaks as he tries to swing around and grab one of them.

The victorious pair of Quetzalcoatlus scavenge the dead Alamosaurus
The victorious pair of Quetzalcoatlus scavenge the dead Alamosaurus
“ For T. rex, this is now too dangerous. Some fights just aren't worth the risk. For now, the flying giants have won. They quickly eat all they can. But T. rex will almost certainly be back to claim his share once his flying rivals leave. ”

― David Attenborough, North America

Overwhelmed by the assault, the T. rex, unwilling to risk receiving potentially more grievous injuries, abandons the titanosaur corpse to the azhdarchids, whom promptly feast on the bountiful meal. Given how the Quetzalcoatlus pair are unlikely to strip a considerable amount of the massive carcass clean, the T. rex will almost certainly return to feast on what is left once the pterosaurs have had their fill and moved on.

Uncovered: Could Giant Pterosaurs Really Hunt on the Ground?[]

Pterosaur wings stretched from the tip of their elongated fourth finger to the top of their hind leg
Pterosaur wings stretched from the tip of their elongated fourth finger to the top of their hind leg
“ One of the most interesting - because they are the most bizarre - are the azhdarchid pterosaurs, and to try and describe what an azhdarchid pterosaur is like is very difficult. They stand as tall as giraffes, they've got heads that may have been 2 meters long, wingspans of 10 meters... they're just some of the most bizarre things to have ever evolved on Earth. ”

― Dr. Mark Witton, Paleoartist & Paleontologist

The segment, using footage of Quetzalcoatlus and Hatzegopteryx (alongside other pterosaurs in the series), brings special attention to what may be considered the weirdest of the pterosaurs, the azhdarchids. Despite their size, they are stated to be well-adapted for taking flight. The question at hand is why it is believed they can hunt on the ground.

Azhdarchid necks did not possess the proper adaptations to withstand skimming bodies of water to catch fish
Azhdarchid necks did not possess the proper adaptations to withstand skimming bodies of water to catch fish
“ The azhdarchid's wing is a skin membrane supported entirely by a super enlarged fourth finger. This skin membrane extended from the tip of that giant fourth finger all the way to the top of the hind leg. Azhdarchids were supremely adapted for covering great distance, but they weren't the kind of animals that were twisting and turning and making agile movements actually in flight. ”

― Dr. Darren Naish, Lead Scientific Consultant

As with all pterosaurs, azhdarchids have wings supported by an elongated fourth finger, with the membrane traveling from the tip of this finger to the top of the hind leg. While this gives them massive wings that allow them to traverse great distances, they were not agile enough to make flexible twists and turns in the air, so they could not have pursued other flying animals. The segment also tackles the prevalent idea of azhdarchids skimming the water to feed like the black skimmer, a type of seabird, pushing the lower jaws through the water to crash them into prey, able to withstand the forces generated with a neck built to absorb sudden impacts. Azhdarchids do not have any of the necessary adaptations to feed this way, and the strain of trying to do so would only end up breaking their necks.

Given their longer limbs, azhdarchids had strides superior to those of smaller pterosaurs
Given their longer limbs, azhdarchids had strides superior to those of smaller pterosaurs
“ These tracks show they held their limbs directly under their body, giving them an upright stance. Their feet were padded, and unlike the small pterosaurs, their long legs gave them an enormous stride. ”

― David Attenborough, Could Giant Pterosaurs Really Hunt on the Ground?

Without the capability to hunt aerial or aquatic prey, this meant that the only option left for azhdarchids is to hunt on the ground. The largest pterosaur tracks ever known, made 66 million years ago by a walking azhdarchid in South Korea, prove how efficiently they can move on the ground. Given their competent terrestrial walking ability, stork-like face, and throats half a meter (20 inches) wide, it is almost certain that they are predators that walked around and reached down to grab animals, with even human-sized creatures considered as viable prey. With this, while they are awe-inspiring in flight, azhdarchids can prove more impressive and terrifying on the ground.

Uncovered: What Else Lived Alongside The Dinosaurs?[]

In this Uncovered segment, which goes over the many animals that lived alongside the dinosaurs, the pterosaurs are brought up as masters of the skies, following the part dedicated to Mosasaurus, the "greatest marine predators of all time". Footage of Barbaridactylus from the fifth segment of Deserts, as well as the juvenile azhdarchids and Quetzalcoatlus from Freshwater are shown, lauded as "the very first animals with backbones to fly".

“ They were not just very big, they also had a skull that was about three meters long and ended in giant, stabby jaws. If you were Tyrannosaurus, you would probably think twice about approaching an animal that dangerous. ”

― Dr. Darren Naish, Lead Scientific Consultant

More focus is brought to them with footage of the pair of Quetzalcoatlus harassing a T. rex in North America, to drive home how the largest can pose a threat to even the deadliest of predatory dinosaurs. The pterosaurs, along with many other impressive creatures that lived alongside the dinosaurs, were not like anything alive today, though, as shown by the next part, dedicated to mammals like Adalatherium, there were also some other animals that might seem a little bit more familiar.

Gallery[]

Trivia[]

Freshwater[]

  • While azhdarchids have been found in the northern, eastern, and western parts of the continent, no azhdarchid remains have been discovered in South Africa yet, and Quetzalcoatlus is only known from the United States. However, such speculation is not unreasonable or implausible given the flight capabilities of azhdarchids, a significant factor that allowed the group to successfully colonize many parts of the world by the end of the Cretaceous.
  • The fourth segment of Freshwater is the fourth segment to feature intraspecific combat, and the second one to result in the younger individual winning.

North America[]

  • The segment took 600 days to animate.[2]
  • This segment mirrors the first segment of Coasts, and, in some ways, is also its opposite.
    • In Coasts, a male T. rex, followed by his hatchlings, leaves the beach of the mainland, ventures across the sea, encounters an enemy living in the sea, a creature of superior strength and size (a mosasaur), gets away from it, and enjoys scavenging a large carcass (a turtle) on the beach of an offshore island.
    • In North America, a lone male T. rex visits the beach of the mainland to scavenge a large carcass (Alamosaurus), encounters two enemies from the skies, creatures of inferior strength, but greater height (a pair of Quetzalcoatlus), and is forced to get away from them.

References[]

  1. ↑ Naish, Darren (@TetZoo) (May 27, 2022) on Twitter, stating that the segment starring the unidentified elasmosaurs in Freshwater is in fact set in South America
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 I Know Dino: The Big Dinosaur Podcast, Episode 447: Dinosaurs in North America: Featuring Prehistoric Planet 2
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