Detailed explanations are provided by paleontologists from Germany, China, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Dinocephalosaurus orientalis a remarkable marine reptile from the Middle Triassic of China, based on seven beautifully preserved specimens.
repair of Dinocephalosaurus orientalis It is depicted in a school of large predatory actinopterygian fishes. Saurictis. Image credit: Marlene Donnelly.
Dinocephalosaurus orientalis They lived in what is now China during the Triassic period about 240 million years ago.
This aquatic reptile could reach up to 6 m (20 ft) in length and had an extremely long neck with 32 separate vertebrae.
the animal looked very similar Tanystropheus hydrides another strange marine reptile that lived during the Middle Triassic period of both Europe and China.
“Both reptiles were similar in size and had some common skull features, including a fish-catching type of dentition,” said Dr Nick Fraser, head of natural sciences at the National Museum of Scotland, and colleagues. Stated.
“but, Dinocephalosaurus orientalis It is unique in having more vertebrae in both its neck and torso, giving it a more snake-like appearance. ”
Dinocephalosaurus orientalis. Image credit: National Museums of Scotland.
Dinocephalosaurus orientalis They are strictly marine reptiles and almost certainly gave birth at sea.
The exact function of its extraordinarily long neck is unknown, but it almost certainly helped catch fish, and in one specimen it is preserved in the stomach contents.
Despite superficial similarities, this reptile was not closely related to the famous long-necked plesiosaur, which evolved only about 40 million years later and inspired the Loch Ness Monster myth.
“This discovery allows us, for the first time, to see the entire body of this amazing long-necked animal,” Dr Fraser said.
“This is another example of the weird and wonderful world of the Triassic that continues to baffle paleontologists.”
“With its striking appearance reminiscent of the long, serpentine dragon of Chinese mythology, we are confident it will capture imaginations around the world.”
Dinocephalosaurus orientalis First described in 2003, the discovery of additional, more complete specimens has allowed the authors to fully describe this strange long-necked creature for the first time.
“Among the amazing discoveries we made in the Triassic of Guizhou, Dinocephalosaurus orientalis It probably stands out as the most remarkable,” said Professor Li Chun, a paleontologist at the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology.
of findings Published in today's magazine Earth and Environmental Sciences: Papers of the Royal Society of Edinburgh.
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Stephen NF Speakman other. Dinocephalosaurus orientalis Li, 2003: A remarkable marine archosaur from the Middle Triassic of southwestern China. Earth and Environmental Sciences: Papers of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, published online on February 23, 2024. doi: 10.1017/S175569102400001X
Source: www.sci.news
