They discovered a new type of pterosaur from unusual footprints

150 million years of evolution made pterosaurs the most fearsome creatures to cross the sky, while on Earth, the T-Rex was the master and master of the ecosystem. this time, Chinese scientists have discovered a new species From this prehistoric bird of 114 fossil dinosaur footprints, found in rocks in the northwest China.

The site containing the dinosaur footprints, which strangely covers an area of ​​30 square centimeters, is located in Junggar BasinWhere are the scientists? Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology of the Academy of Sciences from China They discovered 57 handprints and several footprints since 2006, suggesting that the authors of the signs were quadrupeds.

The report was published in the international journal Peer.J, He stated that after studying the main characteristics of these remains such as the length of the fingers, Scientists determined that the footprints were different from those left by 15 other known species of pterosaurs So they proposed a new species called Pteraichnus wuerhoensis, dating back to Lower Cretaceous period.

according to Li Yang, lead author of the study, The different sizes of these traces indicate that The traces are from animals of different ages and provide evidence that pterosaurs lived in groups. “The Wuerhe region was full of large lakes at that time. Pterosaurs left many footprintsProbably because they went to the lakes in search of food.And the Sure In the.

What are pterosaurs?

The first pterosaur fossils were found in the late 18th century القرن And they had unique properties, In the reptilian universe, where the forelimbs were modified as wings. And that those wings were formed from a membrane supported by the fourth finger of the hand, which was very developed.

The first vertebrates on Earth evolved to gradually improve their flight performance over the 150 million years of their existence Before they became extinct at the same time as the dinosaurs became extinct 66 million years ago. Throughout its history, they have perfected their ability to fly until they have doubled it.

Pterosaurs evolved from wild animals They first appeared as leaflets in the early Triassic period, about 245 million years ago. The first fossils date back to 25 million years later. According to research dating back to December of last year, Pterosaurs adapted the shape and size of their bodies to use 50% less energy. And they increased up to 10 times their mass. Some species have even evolved to weigh more than 300 kilograms.