New pterosaurian remains from the Late Cretaceous (Santonian) of Hungary (Iharkút, Csehbánya Formation)

The Late Cretaceous (Santonian) continental vertebrate locality of Iharkút, western Hungary has provided numerous azhdarchid pterosaur remains including the recently described, Bakonydraco galaczi. Since the first report of these fossils, additional remains have been discovered that improve considerably our knowledge of some aspects of the anatomy of azhdarchid pterosaurs. New cranial material described here indicates an edentulous, non-crested premaxillary rostrum in Bakonydraco similar to that of Quetzalcoatlus and reveals that this rostrum was considerably thinner and more lightly built than the relatively massive, pointed mandibular symphysis. In addition, the contact surface of the upper and lower jaws of Bakonydraco at least in the symphyseal region was more similar to Tapejara wellnhoferi than to other azdarchids: the contact is irregular and the premaxilla does not fit closely the rostral part of the mandible. Among the postcranial material the atlas–axis complex possessing lateral pneumatic foramina is of great importance because it further supports the notion of interspecific variability of vertebral pneumaticity among pterosaurs.

► We describe new azhdarchid pterosaur remains from the Late Cretaceous of Hungary.
► New cranial material indicates a lightly built, edentulous upper jaw of Bakonydraco.
► These remains suggest an irregular premaxilla–mandible contact.
► Azhdarchid atlas–axis complex shows interspecific variation of axial pneumaticity.