A flying dinosaur fossil known as a pterosaur was found on an island in Scotland, United Kingdom. Interestingly, this is the largest pterosaur fossil ever found from the Jurassic period and is also in good condition.
Its wingspan is about 2.5 meters, with an aerodynamically shaped head and lower and upper teeth crosswise. This finding is evidence that pterosaurs began to grow in size at an earlier time than previously estimated.
As quoted by us from New Scientist, the fossil is estimated to be about 170 million years old. It is about the same size as a modern albatross.
"This is the first time in the UK we have found the skull and body of this dinosaur fused together and represent a species that has not been much understood before," said one of the research team, Natalia Jagielska of the University of Edinburgh.
Pterosaurs first existed about 230 million years ago in the Triassic era. At that time, the size was still small. But in the Cretaceous period, when Tyrannosaurus Rex and Triceratops were alive, giants were so large that their wingspan could be up to 12 meters. In other words, these animals continue to grow over time.
Well, the period between the two eras is still mysterious and this fossil is expected to present the answer. At present, there are only a few pterosaur fossils left in the world, probably due to less friendly climatic conditions to store the fossils.
Previously, scientists estimated that pterosaurs were still quite small in size in the Jurassic period, with a wing span of no more than 1.8 meters. However, this discovery proves that the animal is actually larger.