“ Tethydraco are well-adapted to spend their time on the ground, and not only make their nests here, but stay to protect their brood. And their young certainly need protection... ”
Tethydraco (Tethys Dragon, referencing the Tethys Ocean north of its habitat) is a genus of pterydactyloid pterosaur that lived in the Ouled Abdoun Basin in Morocco, North Africa, 66 million years ago, during the Maastrichtian stage of the Late Cretaceous Period. On Prehistoric Planet, Tethydraco is depicted as a pteranodontid, however, some have suggested that Tethydraco is actually Phosphatodraco, and therefore an azhdarchid.[1]
Not much is known about Tethydraco except for its estimated wingspan (5 meters, or 16 feet) and weight (15 kilograms, or 33 pounds).[2][3] Even its identity is a subject of debate. On Prehistoric Planet, Tethydraco is portrayed as a pteranodontid, however, some have suggested that Tethydraco is actually an azhdarchid.[1] Certain studies state that its fossils do not actually indicate the remains of a distinct animal, but rather, parts of the wings of Phosphatodraco. However, a 2022 study suggests that Tethydraco is indeed a pteranodontian, just as the show portrayed.[4] Depending on the truth of the matter, Tethydraco could either really be a late-surviving pteranodontid as was depicted on the show, or a junior synonym of Phosphatodraco, which would make Tethydraco itself nonexistent and therefore invalid.
Prehistoric Planet's Portrayal[]
Prehistoric Planet depicts Tethydraco with a gray and white pycnofiber coat as well as yellow crests and beaks. Much like most of the pterosaurs on the series, the males are shown with larger, longer, hooked crests and overall larger body sizes than the females, which only bear short crests with a tip that almost looks snapped off. Surprisingly, the juveniles have the same color as the adults (as opposed to many of the juvenile animals in the series, which have coats that do not resemble those of the adults). though they still lack the crest, since hatchlings do not need such displays (which help indicate maturity and serve as sexual displays) early in life.
“ It's especially rich here in the North Atlantic, where huge shoals of fish come close to the shore. One kind of animal thrives in such places and forms immense colonies. Flying reptiles, pterosaurs. Here, on the beaches of North Africa, there are seven different species of them. They come here to feed, to rest, and to raise their young. ”
It was once believed that pterosaurs declined in diversity towards the end of the Cretaceous. But on the shores of what would one day become the Ouled Abdoun Phosphatic Basin, west of the Atlas Mountains, seven different species of pterosaurs (among them Tethydraco, Phosphatodraco, Alcione, and Barbaridactylus) showed that, up to the end, the pterosaurs were successful and diverse, only to be abruptly rendered extinct by the Cretaceous-Paleogene Extinction Event, which wiped out three-quarters of life on Earth 66 million years ago.
Nesting and Parental Habits[]
Much like some seabirds, Tethydraco nest in a colony, with the adults safeguarding their hatchlings from any potential threats like Phosphatodraco, which they attempt to drive off by clacking their beaks. By this speculative depiction of Prehistoric Planet, Tethydraco is shown to adhere to the K-selection strategy, since animals that take on this type of strategy spawn a few offspring that take longer to grow, hence, the parents invest more effort to raise and protect them. This, in turn, gives them a slight competitive edge, seen when two Tethydraco mothers briefly fight, their hatchlings watching them as they try to intimidate the other by flapping their wings, followed by both clashing their beaks against each other. Two hatchlings are also shown engaging in slightly playful behavior, grabbing each other's beaks while one pecks its sibling to keep it away, though, as with some animals, this behavior could potentially escalate into more serious competition and fighting as the chicks grow older.
Feeding Preferences[]
As a pteranodontid (assuming it is indeed distinct from Phosphatodraco, which, as an azhdarchid, is a primarily terrestrial predator) and a coast-dwelling creature, Tethydraco likely specialized in fishing, though, like Barbaridactylus and any other predator, they may have opportunistically ate any prey small and easy to catch. Much like Quetzalcoatlus, if the opportunity presents itself, they may occasionally eat the eggs or the young of other pterosaurs, perhaps, in extremely rare cases, even the brood of other Tethydraco living alongside them over issues like space, low resources, or the desire to mate (for many animals, males kill off the spawn of their rivals, the offspring of a female's previous partner), a clear drawback of colonial nesting.
In the second segment of Coasts, which takes place on the shores of Northern Africa, a colony of the Tethydraco is seen on a beach. Within the colony are a few Alcione and Barbaridactylus. The pterosaurs are on the beach to rest and raise their young. One Tethydraco hatchling is seen wandering around, though its mother quickly ushers it back in place to keep it from wandering too far from the nest. The concerns of the parents are justified, for, wandering the beach, is an opportunistic predator.
“ The dagger beak of Phosphatodraco. The nine foot-tall predator that stalks through these colonies, looking for a chance to snatch an unguarded hatchling. ”
The Tethydraco clack their beaks to keep the larger pterosaur away from their nests and chicks, though the Phosphatodraco remained undaunted, completely disregarding these warnings as it continued patrolling through their colony. Most of the segment, however, is dedicated to Alcione hatchlings born in offshore islands and making a dangerous first flight over the ocean to reach the forest past the beach, showing a contrast regarding pterosaur parenting strategies and juvenile independence.
“ A crash landing in the colony. It's no place for a hatchling on its own. ”
Sometime later, while trying to escape a group of Barbaridactylus trying to feast on them, one Alcione hatchling crashes down on the beach. The Tethydraco look on as the Alcione hatchling tries to stand up, while the Phosphatodraco prowling the colony closes in on it, clacking its beak in satisfaction before grabbing the hatchling, devouring it as it screeched its last. The Tethydraco give one last glance as the predator swallowed and savored its meal, serving as a reminder of what fate could befall their chicks should they be left unguarded, before one turned its attention back to the Alcione that are still airborne, trying to escape the Barbaridactylus.
Footage of Tethydraco is briefly used in this Uncovered segment, which is dedicated to the discussion of the extraordinary head crests seen on pterosaurs. It seems quite surprising that an animal meant for flight has what appears to be a large, cumbersome structure on its head. It is believed that these crest played a role in sexual selection and display, with the larger, more impressive crests belonging to older male specimens. This can be seen on the show, where the male Tethydraco have significantly larger, longer, and more hooked head crests than the females, which only bear a short crest with the tip almost looking as if it has been snapped off.
Tethydraco appears in "Pterosaur Beach", the first episode of "Prehistoric Planet Immersive", a spinoff series exclusive to Apple Vision Pro (not to be confused with a new Prehistoric Planet app that is also on the Apple Vision Pro, "Encounter Dinosaurs"). The four-minute story involves teenage T. rexes disturbing a coastal colony of Tethydraco until the arrival of their parent.
