A group of paleontologists found a colossal pterosaur fossil from the Jurassic period.
(Photo: Getty Images/ Peter Macdiarmid)
Unveiling the Giant Pterosaur
Its wings are more than three meters long, making it one of the biggest pterosaurs ever found from that time. The fantastic discovery, made in a gravel pit near Abingdon-on-Thames in Oxfordshire, tells us more about the size and variety of Jurassic pterosaurs.
Dr. James Etienne found part of the pterosaur's wing bone in the fossil in June 2022 while he was looking for fossils of marine dinosaurs. Even though it was broken into three pieces, the bone was in good enough shape for scientists from the universities of Portsmouth and Leicester to do a complete study.
It was found to be from an adult ctenochasmatoid, a type of pterosaur with long, thin wings, long jaws, and fine teeth resembling bristles. According to reports, Professor David Martill from the University of Portsmouth was amazed by how big the bone was and said it was necessary.
He said a mathematical study suggested the pterosaur had a maximum wingspan of 3.75 meters. This is big for a Jurassic pterosaur but not for a Cretaceous one.
This discovery is also crucial because it is one of the first records of this type of pterosaur from the Jurassic period in the UK. Pterosaurs from the Jurassic Period usually had 1.5 to 2 meters long wings.
This new finding, on the other hand, calls into question what scientists thought they knew about the size limits of these early flying reptiles. The specimen's wingspan of 3.75 meters is much bigger than the average size range, suggesting that some Jurassic pterosaurs may have been much bigger than we thought.
Now that the fossil is in the Etches Collection in Kimmeridge, Dorset, it will be safe and available for more research.
The results, which were published in the Proceedings of the Geologists' Association, show how important this discovery is. The thorough study and topographic scan showed that this pterosaur is one of the biggest from the Jurassic period. Only a specimen found in Switzerland is thought to have been more prominent, with wings that could have been up to five meters across.
What this Means for the Evolution of Pterosaurs
The University of Leicester's Dr. Dave Unwin discussed what this finding means for society. He said that "Abfab," the name for the Abingdon pterosaur, shows that pterodactyloid, the advanced pterosaurs that ruled the Cretaceous period, grew to enormous sizes very quickly after they first appeared in the Middle Jurassic. During this time, birds started to evolve, which made this a significant time in the history of aerial development.
It was found in the Late Jurassic Kimmeridge Clay Formation, along with fossils of ichthyosaurs, plesiosaurs, ammonites, and saltwater crocodiles. This shows how diverse the environment was at the time. When briefly exposed on the quarry floor, the Kimmeridge Clay Formation gave scientists a unique look into this ancient ecosystem.
Professor Martill emphasized the importance of this find by saying that the specimen is one of the world's largest known pterosaurs from the Jurassic period. He also noted that it was special because it was one of the first records of this kind of pterosaur from the Jurassic period found in the UK.
The discovery of such an enormous pterosaur from the Jurassic period sheds new light on how these exciting animals evolved and opens the door to more research into their biology and ecology.
As paleontologists continue to study this fantastic fossil, more information about the life and environment of this huge pterosaur is likely to come to light. This will help us learn even more about the world in the past. This find shows how different and valuable Jurassic pterosaurs were and how important it is to keep exploring and studying fossils.
RELATED ARTICLE: Musankwa Sanyatiensis: New Dinosaur Species Discovered in Zimbabwe Sheds Light on Early Evolution
Check out more news and information on Paleontology in Science Times.