New pterosaur species discovered

Posted on Wednesday, 5 September, 2012 | Comment icon

8 comments | News tip by: questionmark

Image credit: John Conway

A previously unknown species of winged reptile dating back 155 million years has been unearthed.

The fantastically preserved fossil skeleton was discovered in the Bamberg district of Germany and is one of the oldest pterosaurs ever found. The new species has unusually long arms and legs and is believed to have fed on fish due to remains found in its stomach. It would also have been able to use its flamingo-like beak to filter small organisms from the water.

The fossil will be going on display at the Bamberg Natural History Museum.

A new species of pterosaur, the flying reptiles that lived alongside the dinosaurs, has been discovered in Germany.

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Source: New Scientist

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Recent comments on this story

#1 Posted by Hilander on 4 September, 2012, 17:50

Interesting find, I think there is so much we don't know as of yet about dinosaurs and other extinct animals. One day they will be digging up our bones and saying we have found some of our ancient relatives we evolved from that lived before the great war that took out most of civilization.

#2 Posted by King Fluffs on 5 September, 2012, 19:45

My favourite dinosaur.

#3 Posted by Artaxerxes on 6 September, 2012, 1:16

Can you imagine how beautiful they must have been while flying? Seeing them gliding over the water and flying around cliffs? They must have been a sight to behold. Pterosaurs were members of the Archosaur family, but more closely related to crocodiles and alligators than to dinosaurs or birds. http://eonsepochsetc.com/Mesozoic/Triassic/Tri_Animals/Dinosaurs/archosaurs.html

#4 Posted by Galilei on 6 September, 2012, 2:58

Wow, what an interesting and beautiful find! If my eyes aren't mistaking me, I believe I can see the pteroid, a bone unique to pterosaurs. There has been debate among scientists relating to this bone and its articulation.

#5 Posted by csspwns on 6 September, 2012, 3:48

wow nice find...now i need to find a computer with waaaay less lag

#6 Posted by Arbitran on 6 September, 2012, 4:55

An excellent specimen. One of the best I've seen. And the wading aspect is certainly fascinating. I've always thought that a lot of coastal pterosaur species would likely have been waders before the divergence of open-sea fishers. This seems to support my hypothesis.

#7 Posted by Abramelin on 6 September, 2012, 9:46

And how scary when some of them landed near you, lol:

#8 Posted by Harlequin Dreamer on 7 September, 2012, 1:31

Don't you just love this when they discover a new species cool.

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