The remains of a pterosaur, found in northeastern Australia in the state of Queensland, impressed local paleontologists. They shared their amazement in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, in which they described a monster that lived about 100 million years ago.
“This flying lizard was like no other dragon from myths,” quotes Tim Richards, a paleontologist at the University of Queensland's dinosaur laboratory, EurekAlert.
Thapunngaka shawi is the name of a previously unknown pterosaur. Its wingspan, according to scientists, reached 7 meters. Like a light airplane. A massive mouth about a meter long with 40 teeth made the lizard look like a dragon. She was just found. The monster's upper and lower jaws were crowned with high ridges that helped him steer in flight.
Thapunngaka shawi, of course, is far from the dragons that Daenerys, the stormborn mother of dragons from the Game of Thrones series, flew on. Those were much larger. However, users of social networks, familiar with the reconstructed image, the lizard found its striking resemblance to another “vehicle through the air” – with one of those tame dragons, which were flown by the heroes of the animated film “How to Train Your Dragon.”
For reference: Quetzalcoatl, a pterosaur of the Quetzalcoatlus northrop species with a wingspan of 11 meters, is considered the largest flying creature that has ever soared above the Earth. And according to some estimates, even at 15. But Thapunngaka shawi still looked more like a dragon, although its wings are smaller.
AT THIS TIME
Petrels were once the size of an airplane
More than 7 meters – slightly less than that of the Cesna – a business aviation liner – had a wingspan of the prehistoric petrel Pelagornis sandersi, whose well-preserved remains were discovered by paleontologists back in 1983 during the construction of the new terminal at Charleston International Airport in South Carolina. The team led by Daniel Ksepka from the University of North Carolina (North Carolina State University in Raleigh), having examined the remains, determined: the “bird”, which weighed under 80 kilograms, was flying. Scientists explained how she did it.
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BTW, ABOUT BIRDS
Nightmarish chicks
Height is three meters. There are wings, but they are too small to fly. Such ostriches are only larger. The body is powerful with muscular legs. The skull is one meter long. Huge beak resembling an ax. “Blade” – almost half a meter. Brains – a little bit. This was the strongest and largest bird that lived on our planet. It didn't feed on worms and bugs. She devoured animals and, possibly, our distant ancestors, some of whom had already taken human form.
The remains of a carnivorous monster were first discovered in Argentina several years ago. And it seems that only after realizing the size, paleontologists came up with a suitable name for this chick: Terror Bird – “a terrible bird.” She and others like her overtook the elephants and chopped them down with their beaks.
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