A 240-million-year-old marine reptile reminiscent of mythical Chinese dragons has been imaged for the first time, according to new research published Friday, February 23, in Earth and Environmental Science Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh.
The fossils of Dinocephalosaurus orientalis were discovered in Guizhou Province in southern China. It is noted that the reptile was first identified in 2003, but since then, the discovery of additional, more complete specimens has allowed an international team of scientists to fully describe this creature.
That this animal had 32 separate cervical vertebrae, an extremely long neck and fins, and a well-preserved fish found in its stomach area indicates that it was very well adapted to an oceanic lifestyle, the researchers said.
It’s Year of the Dragon 🐲✨ and new research published in the RSE’s Transactions journal unveils fossils of Dinocephalosaurus orientalis – a five-metre-long aquatic reptile from the Triassic period of China!
👊 @NtlMuseumsScot @CambridgeUP
— Royal Society of Edinburgh (@RoyalSocEd) February 23, 2024
Why is this discovery important?
According to Nick Fraser, natural sciences specialist at National Museums Scotland: “This discovery allows us to see this remarkable marine reptile for the first time. It’s yet another example of the weird and wonderful world of the Triassic period (first period of the Mesozoic era) that continues to confound paleontologists.
“We are sure it will excite imaginations around the world because of its impressive shape, reminiscent of the mythical Chinese dragon,” Fraser noted, speaking to the DPA news agency.
According to the research, despite superficial similarities, Dinocephalosaurus was not closely related to the famous long-necked plesiosaurs, which evolved about 40 million years later and are believed to have been the inspiration for the Loch Ness Monster.
Researchers from Scotland, Germany, America and China spent 10 years studying Dinocephalosaurus orientalis at the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology in Beijing, part of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
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