Argentinian scientists have discovered a giant flying reptile dubbed the “Death Dragon” that lived 86 million years ago alongside the dinosaurs.
Illustration of the Pterosaur.
This discovery is believed to provide insights into a predator that was as long as a bus.
The newly discovered specimen of this ancient flying reptile, known as a pterosaur, measured approximately 9 meters in length. Researchers indicate that it was one of the first creatures on Earth to use wings to hunt in the prehistoric skies.
A team of paleontologists unearthed fossils of the newly identified species Thanatosdrakon amaru in the Andes Mountains of Mendoza Province, western Argentina. They found rocks that preserved the remains of this reptile dating back 86 million years to the Late Cretaceous period.
This estimated age means that these fearsome flying reptiles lived at least 20 million years before an asteroid impacted what is now the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico, leading to the extinction of approximately 75% of life on Earth about 66 million years ago.
In an interview, project leader Leonardo Ortiz stated that the unprecedented features of the fossil warranted a new species name, which is referred to as “Death Dragon”.
This flying reptile could evoke terror. Researchers noted that the giant skeleton of this fossil belongs to the largest dinosaur yet to be discovered in South America and is among the largest found anywhere in the world.
Ortiz remarked, “Currently, we have no records of any close relatives that even show similar body changes to these monsters.”
