A team of scientists has made a groundbreaking discovery in the Petrified Forest National Park in Arizona, unearthing a 200 million-year-old species of pterosaur. The ancient flying reptile, named Eotephradactylus mcintireae, is believed to be one of the earliest known pterosaurs found in North America.
The jawbone of the creature was first discovered in 2011, but modern scanning techniques have now revealed that it belongs to a previously unknown species. The research team, led by scientists at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History, has named the creature after the volcanic ash that helped preserve its bones.
The discovery is significant because it provides insights into the evolution of life on Earth during the Triassic period. The fossil bed where the remains were found also contains evidence of other extinct animals, including giant amphibians and ancient armoured crocodile relatives.
According to Dr Kligman, the pterosaur’s teeth provide clues about its diet. The teeth have an unusually high degree of wear at their tips, suggesting that the creature was feeding on something with hard body parts. Scientists believe that the most likely prey were primitive fish covered in bony scales.
The site of the discovery has preserved a “snapshot” of an ecosystem where different species lived together 200 million years ago. This fossil bed enables scientists to establish that these animals actually co-existed, providing valuable insights into the evolution of life on Earth.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cqx2zzn53pqo