Skeleton of new flying reptile species discovered in Australia

Fox News Flash top headlines for Oct. 4

Fox News Flash top headlines for Oct. 4 are here. Check out what’s clicking on Foxnews.com

Paleontologists in Australia disovered a fossilized partial skeleton of a new peterosaur species that was able to fly across continents.

The flying reptile had a 12-foot wingspan. Its fossil was found in ironstone in a town in Queensland — and it's the most complete peterosaur specimen found in Australia, according to the study published in the journal Scientifc reports.

The peterosaur lived about 90 million years ago, according to scientists.

It would have been a sight to see," Adele Pentland of Swinburne University, the lead author of the study, told The Guardian. "It had a wingspan of four meters, which is pretty big compared to our modern-day birds."

Ferrodraco lentoni was named in honour of the pioneering former mayor of Winton, Graham ‘Butch’ Lenton, who died in 2017. (Illustration: Travis R Tischler)
(Illustration: Travis R Tischler)

“It’s kind of scary when you think their heads are disproportionately large, it would have had a skull maybe 60 centimeters.”

According to scientists, the fossil had certain unique "dental characteristics" that identified it as a distinct species.

It's one of the last surviving members of the Anhanguera group.

Source: Read Full Article