'Flying dragon' fossil found preserved inside a rock in the Chilean desert

[Judi Lynn]

By Ben Turner about 12 hours ago

This is the first time the creature has been found in the Southern Hemisphere.



A similar fossil to the one discovered in the desert. Rhamphorhynchoids were small pterosaurs with long tails and fully-toothed beaks. (Image credit: Kevin Schafer via Getty images)

Scientists have identified the fossilized remains of a winged lizard unearthed in Chile’s Atacama Desert as a "flying dragon" — the first of its kind to be discovered in the Southern Hem

The pterosaur, which soared the skies 160 million years ago, had a wingspan of 6.5 feet (2 meters); a long, pointy tail; and outward-jutting teeth — features that give the Jurassic-era creature its fearsome "dragon" nickname.

Although the exact genus and species of the winged lizard are unknown, scientists think it is a member of Rhamphorhynchinae, a subfamily of rhamphorhynchoids, which were one of the two major types of pterosaurs (alongside pterodactyloids).

Compared with pterodactyloids, such as the genus of pteranodons that included species with wingspans over 23 feet (7 meters), Rhamphorhynchinae were on average smaller, sported longer tails and, instead of beaks, possessed fully toothed jaws, which they likely used to snatch fish and small marine mammals from the sea. The discovery is the first time a member of the Rhamphorhynchinae subfamily has been found below the equator.

More:
https://www.livescience.com/flying-dragon-found-in-chile

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[George McGovern]

1. Fascinating Judi Lynn! Thank You!!

[Bayard]

2. Very cool

Sounds kind of like a flying alligator.