The huge reptile was one of the first creatures on Earth to use wings when hunting.
Argentine scientists have discovered a new species of huge reptile called the “dragon of death”. Pterosaurs lived 86 million years ago along with dinosaurs, the body of a predator was the size of a school bus.
Reuters reports a new find of paleontologists.
A new species of pterosaurs had about 9 meters in length. Researchers say these reptiles predate birds in the prehistoric sky and were among the first creatures on Earth to use wings to hunt.
A team of paleontologists discovered the fossil in the Andes Mountains in the province of Mendoza in western Argentina. They found that the rocks where the remains of the reptile were preserved date back 86 million years and belong to the Cretaceous period. That is, these creatures lived at least 20 million years before an asteroid impact on what is now Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula wiped out about three-quarters of life on the planet about 66 million years ago.
Project leader Leonardo Ortiz said that similar fossils had never been discovered before, so this species was given the new name Thanatosdrakon Amaru – the name combines the ancient Greek words for death (thanatos) and dragon.
In his opinion, this name is quite appropriate, since the reptile should have been a terrifying sight.
“We have no information about any close relative of this pterosaur that would have a body modification similar to these animals,” Ortiz said.
Recall , about 66 million years ago, a catastrophe occurred – a huge meteorite crashed into our planet and led to the death of dinosaurs. The fall occurred during the transition from spring to summer in the northern hemisphere.
