Nature & Environment
Oldest Fossils for Ancient Flying Reptiles Discovered in Northwestern China
Thomas Carannante
First Posted: Apr 24, 2014 02:18 PM EDT
Pterosaurs are ancient, flying reptiles. Now, scientists recently uncovered the species' oldest fossils.
A fossil of the oldest known pterodactyl, Kryptodrakon progenitor, was discovered by scientists led by Brian Andres, a University of South Florida paleontologist. Pterodactyls are a type of pterosaur, and this particular kind is believed to have roamed the Earth over 163 million years ago. Kryptodrakon means "hidden serpent" and progenitor means "ancestral" or "firstborn."
The fossil of the pterosaur was uncovered in northwestern China near the Gobi Desert, which is a gold mine for ancient fossils of extinct species. Originally thought to be a two-legged dinosaur called a theropod, the scientists rearranged the discovered fossil parts and soon found out that the creature was actually a pterosaur.
"It's going to be a very contentious fossil," said David Unwin, author of a book on the pterosaurs in this USA Today article. "But it will still be very interesting in terms of our understanding of pterosaurs. ... It's a good thing we have the fossil."
The Kryptodrakon progenitor fossil is five million years older than the next oldest pterosaur fossil evidence. Its wingspan was only 4.5 feet, which isn't surprising because the reptiles ranged from very small to very large. The species was considered a "new type" of pterosaur as it appeared 60 million years after the original flying reptiles. Known as a "pterodactyloid", it had longer skulls, shorter tails, and different brains than the earlier pterosaurs.
But much more work still needs to be done, as scientists are not entirely privy to the origins of pterodactyloids, which evolved into over 150 diverse species. Additionally, it is unknown whether this particular pterosaur spent most of its days inland or near the ocean. The fact that only a few bones of the Krytodrakon were found could pose more questions for the discovering scientists, who will likely have to answer to other experts.
Brian Andres and his co-author James Clark published their study and findings in the journal Current Biology.
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First Posted: Apr 24, 2014 02:18 PM EDT
Pterosaurs are ancient, flying reptiles. Now, scientists recently uncovered the species' oldest fossils.
A fossil of the oldest known pterodactyl, Kryptodrakon progenitor, was discovered by scientists led by Brian Andres, a University of South Florida paleontologist. Pterodactyls are a type of pterosaur, and this particular kind is believed to have roamed the Earth over 163 million years ago. Kryptodrakon means "hidden serpent" and progenitor means "ancestral" or "firstborn."
The fossil of the pterosaur was uncovered in northwestern China near the Gobi Desert, which is a gold mine for ancient fossils of extinct species. Originally thought to be a two-legged dinosaur called a theropod, the scientists rearranged the discovered fossil parts and soon found out that the creature was actually a pterosaur.
"It's going to be a very contentious fossil," said David Unwin, author of a book on the pterosaurs in this USA Today article. "But it will still be very interesting in terms of our understanding of pterosaurs. ... It's a good thing we have the fossil."
The Kryptodrakon progenitor fossil is five million years older than the next oldest pterosaur fossil evidence. Its wingspan was only 4.5 feet, which isn't surprising because the reptiles ranged from very small to very large. The species was considered a "new type" of pterosaur as it appeared 60 million years after the original flying reptiles. Known as a "pterodactyloid", it had longer skulls, shorter tails, and different brains than the earlier pterosaurs.
But much more work still needs to be done, as scientists are not entirely privy to the origins of pterodactyloids, which evolved into over 150 diverse species. Additionally, it is unknown whether this particular pterosaur spent most of its days inland or near the ocean. The fact that only a few bones of the Krytodrakon were found could pose more questions for the discovering scientists, who will likely have to answer to other experts.
Brian Andres and his co-author James Clark published their study and findings in the journal Current Biology.
See Now: NASA's Juno Spacecraft's Rendezvous With Jupiter's Mammoth Cyclone