Latest news with #Quetzalcoatlus
Asahi Shimbun
14-05-2025
- Science
- Asahi Shimbun
New genus, species named for pterosaur fossil in Kyushu
A team of researchers re-examining a fossil found about 30 years ago in Kumamoto Prefecture concluded it is a new genus and species of pterosaur, a prehistoric flying reptile. It is the first such naming of a fossil discovered in Japan, the researchers from the Mifune Dinosaur Museum, Kumamoto University and Hokkaido University announced on May 13. The new species, named Nipponopterus mifunensis, is on display at the museum. According to the announcement, the fossil dug up in 1996 in Mifune, Kumamoto Prefecture, came from a layer of the Late Cretaceous (100.5 million to 66 million years ago) in a riverbed upstream from a dam. The fossil was of the cervical vertebrae. But the lack of fossil information about pterosaurs at that time made it difficult to more clearly identify the fragment. The research team used a CT scan of the fossil and compared the data with those of other pterosaurs. That led to the conclusion the fossil was a new species of azhdarchid pterosaur, which had a long neck. The fossil was dated from about 90 million years ago and is from a close relative of Quetzalcoatlus, a large pterosaur that lived in North America in the latter half of the Late Cretaceous. The research team published its findings in the March issue of Cretaceous Research. Azhdarchids appeared in the Late Cretaceous in a wide area encompassing Asia, Africa and the Americas. But there are few fossils because the skeletons are so fragile. (This article was written by Eiji Zakoda and Ryo Sasaki.)
BBC News
03-05-2025
- Science
- BBC News
Tracks show flying giants walked with dinosaurs
Some of the largest animals to ever take to the air actually spent much of their time on the ground, a new study at the University of Leicester have been examining the tracks left by a type of pterosaur called Quetzalcoatlus, which had a wingspan of up to 10m (32ft).They believe the quantity and widespread location of their footprints show the creatures began to spend more time on the ground about 160 million years ago and continued to do so until they died out with the dinosaurs 66 million years team said the tracks offered an insight into the behaviour of these animals which cannot be gleaned from studying the fossilised bones alone. Pterosaurs were a group of flying reptiles which existed at the same time as the dinosaurs, but were evolutionarily distinct from using 3D modelling, detailed analysis and comparisons with pterosaur skeletons, the team said they have matched some tracks with Quetzalcoatlus and others with two separate groups of Smyth, a doctoral researcher in the Centre for Palaeobiology and Biosphere Evolution, said: "Footprints offer a unique opportunity to study pterosaurs in their natural environment. "They reveal not only where these creatures lived and how they moved, but also offer clues about their behaviour and daily activities in ecosystems that have long since vanished." He said footprints of Quetzalcoatlus have been found in both coastal and inland areas around the world, supporting the idea these long-legged creatures not only dominated the skies but were also frequent ground group of pterosaurs, ctenochasmatoids, which are known for their long jaws and needle-like teeth, mostly left tracks in coastal deposits, indicating they waded along muddy shores or in shallow lagoons, using their specialised feeding strategies to catch small fish or floating prey. Fossilised tracks were also matched to a third group, dsungaripterids, which had powerful limbs and jaws, with toothless, curved beak were designed for prising out prey, while large, rounded teeth at the back of their jaws were perfect for crushing shellfish and other tough food Smyth added: "Tracks are often overlooked when studying pterosaurs, but they provide a wealth of information about how these creatures moved, behaved, and interacted with their environments. "By closely examining footprints, we can now discover things about their biology and ecology that we can't learn anywhere else."
Yahoo
18-04-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
24 Mind-Blowing, Size Comparison Photos That'll Change Your Perception Of The Entire World
minuscule size of a hummingbird nest: size of this T. rex metatarsal (a bone in the midfoot) compared to the forearm of a 6'6" person: teeny tiny wittle frog: size of these snail fossils that were pulled out of the ground while excavating: ginormous IUD for cows: unimaginable size of this Coastal Redwood stump: size of a fiber optic wire that supplies a whole home with high-speed internet: size of this baby wasp: size of Nike's medium shorts in the 1990s (white pair) vs. today (red pair): size of a traffic light: size of this cat's removed bladder stone: bell pepper that's so small it's comparable to a strawberry: size of a Quetzalcoatlus: size of this hailstone in Alberta: pocket-sized college diploma: size difference between no-salt-added green beans and regular green beans: huge thorn a tree made: massive sunflower with a tiny bloom: life-size barbie jeep: terrifyingly big moose: size of this Asian giant hornet: size of these tires for dump trucks used at mining sites: dicotyledon leaf found in the Amazon: finally, the world's smallest park:
Buzz Feed
18-04-2025
- Science
- Buzz Feed
24 Mind-Blowing, Size Comparison Photos That'll Change Your Perception Of The Entire World
1. The minuscule size of a hummingbird nest: 2. The size of this T. rex metatarsal (a bone in the midfoot) compared to the forearm of a 6'6" person: 3. This teeny tiny wittle frog: 4. The size of these snail fossils that were pulled out of the ground while excavating: 5. This ginormous IUD for cows: 6. The unimaginable size of this Coastal Redwood stump: 7. The size of a fiber optic wire that supplies a whole home with high-speed internet: 8. The size of this baby wasp: 9. The size of Nike's medium shorts in the 1990s (white pair) vs. today (red pair): 10. The size of a traffic light: 11. The size of this cat's removed bladder stone: 12. This bell pepper that's so small it's comparable to a strawberry: 13. The size of a Quetzalcoatlus: 14. The size of this hailstone in Alberta: 15. This pocket-sized college diploma: 16. This size difference between no-salt-added green beans and regular green beans: 17. This huge thorn a tree made: 18. This massive sunflower with a tiny bloom: 19. Thie life-size barbie jeep: 20. The terrifyingly big moose: 21. The size of this Asian giant hornet: 22. The size of these tires for dump trucks used at mining sites: 23. This dicotyledon leaf found in the Amazon: u/gomminator / Via 24. And finally, the world's smallest park: u/_CoconutMilk_ / Via
