Stunning 240 Million-Year-Old 'Chinese Dragon' Fossil Unveiled By Scientists
Date
2/25/2024 3:10:13 PM
(MENAFN- AzerNews) Scientists have unveiled stunning fossils of an ancient seaborne
"dragon" discovered in China, Azernews reports
citing Live Science .
The 240 million-year-old animal - nicknamed the "Chinese dragon"
- belongs to the species Dinocephalosaurus orientalis, a reptile
that used its remarkably long neck to ambush unsuspecting prey in
shallow waters during the Triassic period (252 million to 201
million years ago).
The species was first found in limestone deposits in southern
China in 2003, but scientists have now pieced together remains to
reconstruct the full 16 (5 meters) span of the spectacular
ancient carnivore for the first time.
The researchers revealed the new findings in a study published
Feb. 23 in the journal Earth and Environmental Science:
Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh.
"It is yet one more example of the weird and wonderful world of
the Triassic that continues to baffle paleontologists," Nick
Fraser, keeper of natural sciences at National Museums Scotland
said in a statement. "We are certain that it will capture
imaginations across the globe due to its striking appearance,
reminiscent of the long and snake-like, mythical Chinese
Dragon."
The fossil reveals some of the ancient sea dragon's striking
features.
First and foremost is its neck, which stretches nearly 7.7 feet
(2.3 meters) and contains 32 separate vertebrae - in comparison,
giraffes (as well as humans) have only seven neck vertebrae.
The snake-like shape of the dragon's articulable neck likely
gave it a remarkable ability to sneak up on its prey, which it did
after maneuvering into position with its flippered limbs. Some of
the fish snared in the dragon's serrated teeth are still preserved
inside the sea monster's belly.
The researchers note that though the strange creature may be
reminiscent of the Loch Ness Monster, it is not closely related to
the long-necked plesiosaurs that inspired the famous mythical
creature.
"We hope that our future research will help us understand more
about the evolution of this group of animals, and particularly how
the elongate neck functioned," first-author Stephan Spiekman, a
postdoctoral researcher based at the Stuttgart State Museum of
Natural History, said in the statement.
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