This New Dinosaur Species Addresses A Missing Link In Evolutionary History
During the Jurassic period, flying reptiles with the same wingspan as a modern golden eagle glided through the skies until they were killed by the same asteroid that wiped out the dinosaurs.
In 2015, scientists discovered a new species of pterosaur in southeast Germany. They named it Skiphosoura bavarica. Now, a team of experts has revealed how the species addresses a missing link in pterosaur evolutionary history.
“This is an incredible find. It really helps us piece together how these amazing flying animals lived and evolved,” said David Hone, a paleontologist at Queen Mary University of London. “Hopefully, this study will be the basis for more work in the future on this important evolutionary transition.”
Pterosaurs, the first and largest vertebrates to achieve powered flight, shared the planet with dinosaurs but were distinct from them. They thrived alongside the iconic reptiles from the Triassic period to the end of the Cretaceous period.
Scientists have been aware of two major groups of pterosaurs for the past 200 years or so. The non-pterodactyloids are on the oldest end of the pterosaur evolutionary timeline. They had a short head, short neck, long tail, a short bone in the wrist of the wing, and a long fifth toe.
The larger pterodactyloids evolved later on, with a large head, long neck, long wrist bone, a short tail, and a short fifth toe. Their wingspans could reach up to about 33 feet long.
It was unclear how the smaller, early pterosaurs evolved into huge pterodactyloids. In 2009, the discovery of a species called darwinopterans in China provided an important clue. It showed that the head and neck of pterosaurs changed first.
When the fully intact Skiphosoura fossil was found in 2015, its preserved bones helped put together more pieces of the evolutionary puzzle. The species has a short, stiff, and pointed tail, along with sharp teeth and a crest on the front of its head.
“It would have been a generalized predator of small prey, taking things like lizards, small mammals, big insects, and maybe fish. It was probably living inland, perhaps in forests,” Hone said.
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Skiphosoura existed toward the end of the Jurassic Period, between the darwinopterans and the giant pterodactyloids.
It had a wingspan of about six feet and a pterodactyloid-like neck and head. However, its longer wrist and shorter toe and tail are evidence of evolution toward pterodactyloids.
Overall, Skiphosoura enabled scientists to uncover key evolutionary changes that bridged the gap between early pterosaurs and their more advanced descendants, the pterodactyloids.
It also provides clarity on previous pterosaur finds, aiding scientists in positioning them more accurately within the pterosaur family tree.
The details of the study were published in the journal Current Biology.
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