Look up: the sky is darkened - not by clouds, but by the colossal wingspan of the Azhdarcho, a titan among pterosaurs. This prehistoric predator, named after a dragon from Persian mythology, rules the skies of the Late Cretaceous. Its 4.5-metre wingspan can stretch over a Volkswagen Beetle - of course, those haven’t been invented yet. Using its height and long, spear-like beak, Azhdarcho preys upon small dinosaurs and other little vertebrates.

Its fossils will eventually be discovered in 1984, roughly 92 million years in the future. By this time, not many creatures from our Cretaceous period will be known, so Azhdarcho’s remains will help intelligent bipedal mammals to understand a bit more about the fauna typical for our time. Until then, soar on, you long-necked leviathan of the sky.