Pterodactylosaurus, the only animal that can be described as a bird-reptile-dinosaur type, was once the largest flying animal in the world. These massive beasts of prey, which lived on Earth during the Cretaceous period about 66.5 million years ago, were actually reptiles rather than dinosaurs. And although they have wings, they are not birds.
Scientists once had difficulty classifying pterosaurs. Although humans have found the bones of pterosaurs many times before, the lack of conclusive evidence has shrouded these terrible beasts in mystery. Recently, two British scientists found fossils of a pterosaur in Romania's Transylvania region, bringing paleontologists one step closer to solving the puzzle.
The study was published in the journal Peer-j. Darren Naish and Mark P. Witton described in their study the fossils they found, belonging to a species of pterosaur called Hartzyzko pterosaurs. These fossils run counter to our traditional understanding of pterosaur body proportions. Generally speaking, humans once thought that the largest pterosaurs, such as the Pterodactyl, had an unusually long neck, and they could reach under the water to catch fish and eat.
But Hatziko pterosaurs are a cold-blooded killer. Its bones were wide and short, and its stocky neck meant it was a dominant predator rather than a ballet-like bird. The broad beak of the genus Hatziko pterosaurs may have helped it easily catch pony-sized prey (or dinosaurs).
Hopefully, the new study will help paleontologists understand the diversity of Pterodactylosaurus, the researchers wrote: "The concept of short-necked Pterodactyl still needs to be explored in detail, although it is important for us to understand the paleoecology and differences of Pterodactylosaurus." ”
At the very least, the new fossils make us once again glad that we didn't appear in the nightmarish world of the late Cretaceous period.