About this 3D model

I made one of the largest creatures to have ever flown, the quetzalcoatlus. This pterosaur existed during the late Cretaceous, and was a member of the group known as the Azhdarchids. In contrast to other known pterosaurs, Azhdarchids had longer, more rigid neck structures, as well as evolved wing structures giving this group a significant advantage while on land. These discoveries have lead paleontologists to believe that quetzalcoatlus, and all Azhdarchids for that matter, would have been suited for terrestrial hunting. While capable of flight, it's debated whether quetzalcoatlus was a soaring flyer, using columns of warm air to assist in flight for long durations. Or, was it a burst flyer, utilizing flight as a quick means of escape, or short traversal? We aren't quite sure, as there are no preserved wing membranes fossilized to even know how they would have connected to the body. In fact, we have only found a hand full of quetzalcoatlus bones, and the rest of the information has been pieced together from other Azhdarchid species found around the world. A lot of what we know regarding quetzalcoatlus today has actually been more recently discovered. While the first fossils were discovered in the 1970's, more research was done through the 80's and 90's. Then, in 2021, a description of the genus was finally published in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. This sculpt is kind of a gift to my younger self. Growing up, I was a dinosaur kid, and have always had an affinity for pterosaurs. The quetzalcoatlus, specifically, caught my attention, and I feel so lucky to be alive as we learn more about this amazing creature. I wanted to make the pose as dynamic as possible. Though it may not be accurate to how the quetzalcoatlus launched itself into flight, I thought having the body upright with the wings splayed out made for a more interesting silhouette. For the color, I really wanted to go bright. Since we don't know what colors these creatures may have been, I thought this would be a fun project to turn up the saturation. To finish everything out, I painted, and added some static grass to the base. I feel like these small touches really add a lot to the finished sculpt, and make for a much more exciting display.