Avatar’s Flying Reptiles Soared In Ancient China
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Paleontologists have identified a new species of flying reptile that lived over 120 million years ago in northeastern China. Their findings have been published in Scientific Reports.
Pterosaurs represent the first group vertebrates to evolve powered flight. Though they are known to have existed across all the continents, their fossil record is poor and uneven. Interestingly, the Aptian Jiufotang Formation in northeastern China has uncovered more specimens in recent years than from any other region in the world.
Fossil analysis of two unique specimens found in this region reveals that the new species had elongated skulls and possible throat sacs, which could have allowed the reptile to forage for food by skimming over water and picking out prey near the surface.
“This pterosaur fed on fishes from nearby freshwater lakes by flying low over the water, capturing its prey by lowering the mandible in the water, being capable of a reduced and temporary skimming, and it had a more developed throat pouch for food,” exaplained lead author Professor *** Xiaolin, of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, in a comment to Asian Scientist. “Its foraging habit increases the potential feeding modes of pterosaurs.”
The specimens were discovered in the same deposit as two other previously described pterosaur specimens. These had distinctly larger and more robust teeth, suggesting different feeding mechanisms—and prey preferences—across the three species. Though similar, the different reptiles could have occupied distinct ecological niches.
According to Prof. ***, perhaps the most interesting discovery is that these new pterosaurs have been seen before—on film. The science fiction movie Avatar featured flying creatures favoring similar, hook-like mandibular crests; these were known as ikran. This led the researchers to name the new pterosaur species Ikrandraco avatar.
Source: AsianScientist
David
annotated1+ month ago
An Early Cretaceous pterosaur with an unusual mandibular crest from China and a potential novel feeding strategy.
An Early Cretaceous pterosaur with an unusual mandibular crest from China and a potential novel feeding strategy : Scientific Reports : Nature Publishing Group
The Aptian Jiufotang Formation of northeast China is a Konservat Lagerstätte particularly rich in pterosaurs, notably azhdarchoids. Here we describe a new genus and species of toothed pteranodontoid pterosaur, Ikrandraco avatar gen. et sp. nov., based on two laterally flattened specimens. Ikrandraco avatar is diagnosed by a suite of features, including a very low and elongate skull, strongly inclined quadrate, and a deep, blade-like bony mandibular crest with a hook-like process on its posterior edge, an unusual structure so far unique to this taxon. The particular skull shape hints at a distinct feeding habit for pterosaurs that potentially includes temporary skimming and an extensible skin acting as a throat pouch that was more developed than in any other pterosaur known so far. The presence of two other taxa of purported piscivorous pterosaurs in the Jiufotang Formation suggests distinct resource exploitation in this part of China during the Early Cretaceous.
www.nature.com
David
annotated1+ month ago
The Chinese Academy of Sciences is the linchpin of China's drive to explore and harness high technology and the natural sciences for the benefit of China and the world. Comprising a comprehensive research and development network, a merit-based academic society and a system of higher education, CAS brings together scientists and engineers from China and around the world to address both theoretical and applied problems using world-class scientific and management approaches.
David
annotated1+ month ago
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The Jiufotang Formation is dated to about 120.3 /-0.7 million years ago, which was during the Aptian age of the Cretaceous; The Jiufotang Formation is an Early Cretaceous geological formation in Chaoyang, Liaoning which has yielded fossils of feathered dinosaurs, primitive birds, pterosaurs, and other organisms.
David
annotated1+ month ago
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Avatar’s Flying Reptiles Soared In Ancient China
Avatar’s Flying Reptiles Soared In Ancient China | Asian Scientist Magazine | Science, Technology and Medicine News Updates From Asia
Scientists discover that flying reptiles first seen in a science-fiction film may really have existed hundreds of millions of years ago in China.
www.asianscientist.com