Now Reading: Meet North America’s Newly Discovered ‘Ash-Winged’ Pterosaur
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Meet North America’s Newly Discovered ‘Ash-Winged’ Pterosaur
Meet North America’s Newly Discovered ‘Ash-Winged’ Pterosaur
Swift Summary
- Paleontologists at Petrified Forest National Park, Arizona, unearthed a bonebed dating back 209 million years (Triassic period), containing nearly 1,500 fossils from various prehistoric species.
- Teh most notable discovery was the fossilized remains of Eotephradactylus mcintireae, the oldest pterosaur found in North America.
- Pterosaurs where early flying reptiles with hollow bones and leathery wings supported by elongated fourth fingers.
- Fossil discoveries included a jaw, wing bone, and tooth of Eotephradactylus. The specimen is nicknamed “ash-winged dawn goddess” due to volcanic ash that preserved it and its place in early pterosaur evolution.
- Other fossils found include armored crocodile relatives (aetosaurs), giant predatory salamanders (metoposaurs), dragon-like reptiles (Vancleavea), and early turtles with spikes.
- This bonebed reflects ecosystems balanced between ancient extinct groups like metoposaurs and aetosaurs alongside species that later dominated post-Triassic eras such as frogs, turtles, and pterosaurs.
Indian Opinion Analysis
the discovery highlights critical advancements in paleontology by offering notable insights into Triassic-era biodiversity.For india’s academic community studying evolutionary biology or geology,such breakthroughs serve as benchmarks for organizing similar explorations in under-researched areas like the Thar Desert or Himalayan sedimentary basins where comparable fossil troves might exist. Highlighting the coexistence of archaic animals with evolutionary predecessors offers lessons about ecosystem adaptability before mass extinctions-a theme relevant amid climate change conversations globally.Such findings also underscore global collaboration opportunities for Indian scientists to participate in excavations abroad while leveraging domestic landscapes for comparative studies.
Read More: National Geographic Article
Holotype jaw of Eotephradactylus mcintireae. Scale bar shows size comparison.
Photograph by Suzanne McIntire
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