New Late Cretaceous Pterosaur – Eurazhdarcho langendorfensis

An international team of scientists have named and described a new species of Late Cretaceous flying reptile which had a wingspan approximately the same as a Wandering Albatross, but unlike the extant Albatross, this pterosaur lived inland.

Researchers from the University of Southampton (England), in association with the Transylvanian Museum Society in Romania and the Museau Nacional in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), have identified a new species of azhdarchid pterosaur with a wingspan of around three metres.  The fossils were found in Romania (Sebeş-Glod – Transylvanian Basin of north-western, central Romania), they have been dated to approximately sixty-eight million years ago (Maastrichtian faunal stage of the Late Cretaceous).

European Azhdarchid Pterosaur

Scientists were able to excavate a number of associated cervical vertebrae (neck bones) plus elements from the long digit that acted as a support for the pterosaur’s wing.  The strata of the Sebeş-Glod region have provided palaeontologists with a wealth of vertebrate fossils including crocodilians, turtles, lizards plus a number of primitive mammals.  Some of these small creatures may well have been the prey of this new flying reptile species which has been named as Eurazhdarcho langendorfensis, the genus name comes from a combination of Europe and the azhdarchid pterosaur group.  The specific name relates to Langendorf, the name of the town of Lancrǎm in the native dialect of the ethnic German minority population of Romania.

A Diagram showing the Fossil Bones Found of Eurazhdarcho langendorfensis

Eurazhdarcho pterosaur diagram showing fossil finds. Scale bar = 50 cm.

Illustration credit: Mark Witton (University of Southampton)

Eurazhdarcho langendorfensis

Although the bones have been heavily eroded and show signs of having been scavenged by crocodiles and further damaged by insect activity after burial, the fossils represent one of the most complete azhdarchid pterosaurs found in Europe to date.

Analysis of the finger bones that supported the long wing indicate that this flying reptile could fold its wings up and walk on all fours.  It has been speculated that these inland pterosaurs may not have been fish-eaters like coastal pterosaurs but they may have stalked prey rather like extant Marabou Storks.  The absence of any skull material prevents the research team from being able to gain a more complete understanding of the diet of these animals, however, it is very likely that E. langendorfensis had a large, toothless beak.

Dr Darren Naish (University of Southampton), one of the research team members responsible for the study which has been published in the academic journal Public Library of Science (PloS One) commented:

“With a three-metre wingspan, Eurazhdarcho would have been large, but not gigantic.  This is true of many of the animals so far discovered in Romania; they were often unusually small compared to their relatives elsewhere.”

During the Late Cretaceous, much of this part of southern Europe was covered by a warm, shallow sea.  There were a number of small islands, an archipelago or island chain and the strata in Transylvania formed one such island.  The dinosaur fauna seemed to have adapted to the limited resources on these islands and many species show a degree of dwarfism, including the tiny, pony-sized titanosaur known as Magyarosaurus.

As pterosaurs could fly, they were not effectively marooned on the small islands and some azhdarchid fossils discovered in the late 1990s indicate that some species were giants with wingspans in excess of ten metres.

The discovery of this new genus of pterosaur, much smaller than the giants such as Hatzegopteryx thambema, suggest that as with other azhdarchid pterosaur discoveries elsewhere in the world, large pterosaurs co-existed with smaller species sharing the same environment.  This suggests that even on these poorly resourced island chains, different types of pterosaur were hunting different types of prey in the same region at the same time, indicating that the food chain in this part of the world during the Late Cretaceous was more complicated than previously thought.

A Scale Drawing of the Giant Hateg Pterosaur H. thambema

Hatzegopteryx – giant pterosaur from southern Europe.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

For models and figures of pterosaurs: Pterosaur Models and Dinosaurs (CollectA Prehistoric Life).

Senior Lecturer in Vertebrate Palaeontology at the University of Southampton, Dr Gareth Dyke reflected on the potential feeding habits of these types of flying reptiles.

He stated:

“Experts have argued for years over the lifestyle and behaviour of azhdarchids.  It has been suggested that they grabbed prey from the water while in flight, that they patrolled wetlands and hunted in a heron or stork-like fashion, or that they were like gigantic sandpipers, hunting by pushing their long bills into mud.”

The research team are hopeful that more pterosaur remains will be found in the Transylvanian Basin, including skull material which might yield further evidence regarding the dietary behaviour of the Late Cretaceous reptiles.

The scientific paper: “A New Azhdarchid Pterosaur from the Late Cretaceous of the Transylvanian Basin, Romania: Implications for Azhdarchid Diversity and Distribution” by Mátyás Vremir, Alexander W. A. Kellner, Darren Naish and Gareth J. Dyke published in PLoS One.

Oldest Known Metriorhynchid Super Predator from the Middle Jurassic

Some fragmentary bones, including jaw material and teeth unearthed when a Peterborough clay pit (Peterborough in Cambridgeshire, England) was explored by the famous amateur palaeontologist Alfred Leeds, have been identified as a new genus of marine crocodile super predator.  The fossils which include isolated teeth, elements of the mandible and some post cranial material, first excavated by Leeds as he examined Oxford Clay strata exposed at the Fletton clay brick pits close to Peterborough have been assigned to the species Tyrannoneustes lythrodectikos representing the oldest, large metriorhynchid crocodilian known to date.

Tyrannoneustes lythrodectikos

Although the actual size of this prehistoric, marine predator is hard to calculate accurately, studies of the teeth and estimates of the gape of the mouth indicate that this reptile was probably an apex predator and the fossil material helps palaeontologists to better understand the evolutionary path taken by marine crocodiles as they competed with other types of marine reptiles in the warm, tropical seas that covered much of England during the Jurassic geological period.

The fossils were discovered around the turn of the 20th century, they were first formally listed in 1919 forming part of the vertebrate fossil collection at the Hunterian Museum at the University of Glasgow.  The material remained relatively undisturbed until a team of palaeontologists led by researchers from the Department of Geosciences at the University of Edinburgh had the opportunity to examine the fossil specimens in detail.  The team concluded that the fossils represented a new species of giant, marine crocodile that swam in the Middle Jurassic seas around 165 – 163 million years ago.

An Artist’s Impression of the New Genus of Marine Crocodile

Fearsome marine crocodile Tyrannoneustes.

Picture credit: Press Association/University of Edinburgh

Middle Jurassic Marine Crocodile

The newly assigned species, helps scientists to piece together a picture of the marine ecosystem during the Middle Jurassic, a time when ichthyosaurs and plesiosaurs shared this environment with the crocodilians.

The Metriorhynchidae are a large family of marine crocodiles that seem to have had their hey day in the Late Jurassic.  Fossils of these predatory reptiles have been found in Switzerland, France, England, Germany and also in South America.   These animals ranged in size from around two metres in length to apex predators that may have reached lengths in excess of seven metres or more.  Dr Mark Young of the School of Geosciences at the University of Edinburgh has studied a number of apex Metriorhynchidae crocodilians, monsters like Dakosaurus and the much larger Plesiosuchus for example.  However, such large members of the Metriorhynchidae are associated with more recent Upper Jurassic strata whereas, the fossils ascribed to Tyrannoneustes date from earlier Middle Jurassic deposits.

To view replicas and models of Jurassic prehistoric animals: PNSO Age of Dinosaurs Figures.

This new research, which has just been published in the academic publication “The Journal of Systematic Palaeontology” allows scientists to partially fill a gap in the evolution and radiation of the Metriorhynchidae as these creatures evolved into top predators from smaller genera that specialised in catching fish and cephalopods.

A Formidable Hunter

The wide gape of the mouth and the teeth capable of shearing flesh and bone would have made this marine crocodile a formidable hunter, the fearsome nature of this beast is reflected in the scientific name Tyrannoneustes lythrodectikos, which means “blood-biting tyrant swimmer”.

Dr Mark Young, one of the authors of this study commented that:

“It was satisfying to be able to classify a specimen that has been unexamined for more than one hundred years, and doubly so to find that this discovery improves our understanding of the evolution of marine reptiles.”

The research team are confident that this fossil material represents a transitional stage in metriorhynchid evolution between smaller crocodiles feeding on small prey and other, later forms that filled an ecological niche in a similar way to modern-day Orcas.

To read an earlier article into the research work on marine crocodiles carried out by scientists at the University of Edinburgh: Marine Crocodiles More Like Killer Whales Than Crocodiles.

Intriguingly, other isolated teeth and a partial humerus found in Oxford Clay deposits suggest that at least one other genus of large, marine crocodile may have been present in the tropical seas around 165 million years ago.

New Dinosaur Discovery Challenges the Theory of Bird Evolution

A single, thirty-centimetre-long fossil of a dinosaur from China is helping palaeontologists to understand a little more about the complex evolutionary path between the  Dinosauria and Aves (birds), the fossil, representing a new genus of basal troodontid has been named Eosinopteryx brevipenna.  This dinosaur lived in a swampy environment with plenty of tree cover.  The discovery of this fossil increases the known diversity of small-bodied, feathered dinosaurs that lived during the Middle to Late Jurassic and shows that a number of different taxa of feathered, mainly cursorial dinosaurs occupied different niches in dinosaur dominated ecosystems suggesting that the evolution of flight and ultimately the Class Aves is much more complex than was thought some twenty years ago.

Eosinopteryx brevipenna

Archaeopteryx (A. lithographica) may be regarded as a transitional fossil between the Dinosauria and true birds, but it seems that the Late Jurassic feathered dinosaur from finely grained limestone deposits of Solnhofen in Germany may only represent one of a number of dinosaur lineages that had feathers.

This new fossil discovery comes from the Tiaojishan Formation of western Liaoning, a Province in China.  The strata of the Tiaojishan Formation has been dated to around 165 -155 million years ago (Early Bathonian to Mid Oxfordian faunal stage).   The specimen represents an adult or possibly a sub-adult specimen and an analysis of the well-preserved fossil shows that this little dinosaur had a short snout, quite large eyes, small arms covered in short feathers and toes suited to running (cursorial lifestyle).

E. brevipenna had fewer feathers on its tail and lower legs, these adaptations would have made it easier to run.  It can be speculated that this feathered dinosaur probably hunted insects, lizards and small mammals in the undergrowth.  An anatomical study of the bone structure of the arms of this reptile suggest that it could not fly, the feathers may have aided the animal jumping from logs and other obstacles, perhaps acting as mini air brakes to help control landing.  The genus name Eosinopteryx means “Early Chinese Feather”.

The Fossil Specimen (Eosinopteryx brevipenna)

Helping to unravel the evolution of flight.

Picture credit: Macmillan Publishing

One of the co-authors of the scientific paper (published in the academic journal “Nature Communications”), Dr Gareth Dyke from the University of Southampton commented that:

“This discovery sheds further doubt on the theory that the famous fossil Archaeopteryx – or “first bird” as it is sometimes referred to – was pivotal in the evolution of modern bird.”

Bird Evolution

The team’s findings suggest that the origin of flight was much more complex than was thought twenty years ago, with there being a lot of evidence to suggest that there were a number of feathered, cursorial dinosaur genera present in the Middle to Late Jurassic.  Interestingly, the rocks of the western part of Liaoning Province have provided a substantial number of pterosaur fossils. In this part of China towards the end of the Jurassic there were a lot of reptiles that were very accomplished fliers – members of the Pterosauria.

One such genus is Darwinopterus (named after the naturalist Charles Darwin).  Known from around forty fossil specimens including one that showed an egg about to be laid but still present in the animal’s body, this pterosaur genus shows important anatomical characteristics that suggests it may be a transitional form from the primitive rhamphorhynchoid pterosaurs to the more advanced, shorter-tailed pterodactyloid pterosaurs.

To read an article on Darwinopterus: Pterosaur Transitional Fossil – Darwinopterus.

An Illustration of Eosinopteryx brevipenna

On the way to flight

Picture credit: Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences

Liaoning Province may be famous for its feathered fossils representing creatures from the Early Cretaceous but it also seems that the older strata of this part of China can lay claim to a number of feathered dinosaur fossils too.

To view models and replicas of early birds and feathered dinosaurs: PNSO Age of Dinosaurs Models and Replicas.

Isle of Wight Where Dinosaurs Roamed

With the release of a map showing dinosaur discoveries made in the United Kingdom, the Isle of Wight, an island off Britain’s south coast has been declared the “dinosaur capital of Great Britain”.  It is true that there have been some remarkable dinosaur fossil discoveries made on this island which is separated from the English mainland by a stretch of water called the Solent. The island has long since been known as “Dinosaur Isle” amongst palaeontologists and geologists who happen to frequent the southern part of the island exploring the Purbeck and Wealden strata of what is termed the Wessex Basin.

Dinosaur Capital

Iguanodontids, hypsilophodonts, sauropods, armoured dinosaurs and theropod meat-eating dinosaur fossils have all been found on the Isle of Wight.  There are also numerous dinosaur footprints and tracks that can be seen on the foreshore at Chilton Chine and other parts of the coastline.  Much has been made of the discovery of the fierce, meat-eating dinosaur known as Neovenator (Neovenator salerii).  This theropod dinosaur is known from a single specimen discovered nearly thirty-five years ago.  Neovenator means “New Hunter” and this dinosaur, tentatively assigned to the Carcharodontosauridae, may have measured more than 8 metres in length.  It would have been dwarfed by some of the sauropods that shared its Early Cretaceous environment.  Fossil discoveries made on the Isle of Wight indicate that there were brachiosaurids present and some of these long-necked herbivores could have weighed in excess of fifty tonnes.

A Model of the Fearsome Neovenator Dinosaur

“New Hunter” from the Isle of Wight.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

Cretaceous Strata

The Cretaceous strata that makes up the southern part of the Isle of Wight is indeed important.  It is not just dinosaur fossils that make this a significant location, palaeontologists have been able to painstakingly build up a picture of an palaeo-environment.  In 2009 Doctor Steven Sweetman of the University of Portsmouth published a new, scientific paper outlining nearly fifty newly identified prehistoric vertebrates, whose fossils had been found eroding out of cliffs on the island.  Amongst the new genera erected there were six new mammals, eight dinosaurs, including large, predatory dromaeosaurs (raptors) and fifteen new members of the Order Squamata (lizards and snakes).

During the Early Cretaceous (135 million years to 130 million years ago), the land we now know as the Isle of Wight formed part of an extensive flood plain that linked the continents of the Americas, Africa and Europe.  More fossils are being found each year and palaeontologists are able to build up quite a detailed picture of the Cretaceous fauna and flora.

Not wishing to diminish the importance of the Isle of Wight, it is also worth remembering that a number of significant dinosaur finds have been made elsewhere in the British Isles.  A considerable amount of Jurassic-aged dinosaur fossils have been found in North Yorkshire, the Isle of Skye has some amazing dinosaur tracks and fragmentary dinosaur bones, then there is the county of Surrey with its Baryonyx fossil discovery and our own personal favourite, the city of Bristol, with its Thecodontosaurus.  The first fossils of Thecodontosaurus were found at a site just to the north of the city’s bustling centre, these fossils were found in 1834.

To read an article about Bristol honouring its very own dinosaur: Bristol Remembers its Very Own Triassic Dinosaur.

The Importance of the Isle of Wight

Then there are the megalosaurs and other dinosaurs from Oxfordshire, the Dorset Scelidosaurus, iguanodonts from the Wealden Formation outcrops of Kent and Sussex.   In fact, there are a number of important locations in the UK in terms of the dinosaur fossils found at these sites.  After all, the first dinosaurs to be ascribed to the newly erected Order Dinosauria were all species, whose fossils had been found in southern England.

For models and replicas of dinosaurs, including many dinosaurs associated with the Isle of Wight: Prehistoric Life Models (CollectA Age of Dinosaurs).

The Dinosaur Map of Britain

Dinosaur “Hot Spots” as we at Everything Dinosaur call them.

The research compiled by palaeontologists at the London Natural History Museum who tracked dinosaur fossil finds recorded over the last 336 years, was carried out as part of the publicity material for the television series “Primeval New World”, a spin-off from the earlier ITV programmes about a team of adventurers battling against worm holes that keep bringing prehistoric creatures back to the present day.