Palaeontology

Ancient reptile named after 'Avatar' creature

By T.K. Randall
September 15, 2014 ·  7 comments

The fictional Ikran lived in Pandora's floating mountains. Image Credit: CC BY-SA 3.0 Arne Huckelheim Scientists have announced the discovery of a new species of pterosaur that has been identified from fossils found in China dating back more than 120 million years.

The prehistoric winged reptile has been named Ikrandraco avatar after its resemblance to the flying creatures ridden by the blue-skinned Na'vi in James Cameron's hit movie Avatar. The Ikran's real-life counterpart boasted a wingspan of up to 8ft and had a pouch beneath its throat similar to that of a pelican. It is believed to have fed primarily on fish by swooping low over lakes and rivers and scooping them up with its lower jaw.

"The head structure is similar in this pterosaur to the Ikran in 'Avatar,'" said paleontologist Xiaolin Wang. "Of course, nobody and nothing can ride this pterosaur."

Source: Yahoo! News | Comments (7)

Tags: Avatar, Reptile