Ferrodraco lentoni, "Lenton's Iron Dragon", is a species of pterosaur. The only known fossil of the pterosaur was found in 2017 north east of Winton, Queensland, Australia.[1][2]
The pterosaur had a wingspan of about four metres, and when on the ground walked on its four limbs.[1] The name, Ferrodraco lentoni, comes from the Latin word, ferrum (iron), for the ironstone in which the fossil was found, and draco, the Latin word for dragon.[2] The species also is named after Graham Thomas 'Butch' Lenton, who was the mayor of Winton.[2]
Only small parts of 15 different pterosaurs have been found in Australia. Ferrodraco is the most complete specimen found.[1] Scientists have been able to identify five vertebrae, eight limb bones, a large part of the jaw and skull, and 40 teeth.[1] They believe that the pterosaur lived about 96 million years ago.[1] That is in the Upper Cretaceous.
The fossil is similar to pterosaurs found in England, except that it has much smaller teeth.[1] This might be because of the type of food it ate, perhaps a diet of fish.[1] Bones of pterosaurs were thin, and hollow, and because of this, very few have survived.[2]
Winton is well known as an area where dinosaur fossils are found, but this was the first pterosaur discovered here.[1]