Latest news with #Sinopterus
Yahoo
21-07-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Dinosaur-era flying reptile's fossil reveals first direct evidence of plant diet
A recent fossil discovery is offering new insights into what pterosaurs actually ate, challenging long-held assumptions about these ancient rulers of the skies. In a study published in the peer-reviewed journal Science Bulletin, researchers from China and Brazil revealed the first direct evidence of stomach contents in a pterodactyloid pterosaur. The fossil belongs to a species of pterosaur called sinopterus atavismus, unearthed in northeastern China. According to the study, its stomach contained phytoliths—tiny, rigid mineral structures produced by plants—suggesting it had been feeding on vegetation. Scientists also found small quartz crystals, which the reptile may have ingested to help break down its food, similar to modern birds that swallow stones for digestion. Prehistoric flying reptile had stones and plants in its stomach For millions of years before birds took to the skies, pterosaurs dominated the airspace as the first vertebrates to achieve powered flight. These extinct flying reptiles lived from the Late Triassic period about 240 million years ago until the end of the Cretaceous period around 66 million years ago. While often mistaken for dinosaurs, species such as pterodactyls and pteranodons belonged to their own distinct group. "The first occurrence of phytoliths, associated with gastroliths, in the stomach contents confirms the herbivory of Sinopterus. It is the first time that such structures have been discovered in pterosaurs," the team behind the study stated in the research paper. Researchers from the Institute of Vertebrate Palaeontology and Paleoanthropology (IVPP) at the Chinese Academy of Sciences informed that among the several questions surrounding these flying reptiles is their dietary habit, which remains poorly understood, the South China Morning Post reported. The team explained that scientists have long debated what pterosaurs ate, with theories ranging from insects, fish, meat and plants, and even the possibility that some species filter-fed like whales—an uncertainty that has persisted because fossilized evidence of their meals is extremely rare. Fossil preserved in shale slab, captured delicate details Although paleontologists have studied pterosaur fossils for decades, only five confirmed cases of stomach contents have been identified in earlier, non-pterodactyloid species and those mostly contained fish remains. The exceptionally rare, nearly complete specimen of sinopterus was unearthed by researchers from IVPP in China's Liaoning province, within a Lower Cretaceous geological formation. This species belongs to the tapejaridae family, a group of toothless pterosaurs. The fossil was preserved in a fine shale slab, a type of compacted mudstone known for capturing even the most delicate details of ancient life. The research team, which included experts from Shenyang Normal University and the National Museum of Brazil, used specialized 3D X-ray imaging to analyze the fossil. Inside the body cavity, the team found a fine, claylike material that looked like undigested plant matter. This material contained tiny rigid structures known as phytoliths, which form inside plant cells and can survive long after the rest of the plant has decayed. According to David Martill, a paleontologist at the University of Portsmouth who was not involved in the research, this extraordinarily rare discovery—the kind that happens once in a century—overturns the long-held belief that these fierce-looking winged reptiles were purely carnivorous. You can view the study here. Solve the daily Crossword
The Independent
21-07-2025
- Science
- The Independent
Chinese Pterosaur fossil sparks debate on what giant flying reptiles really ate
A first-of-its-kind pterosaur fossil unearthed in China with its gut content intact has revealed what the dinosaur-era flying reptile ate, settling a long-standing debate about whether its diet was plant or meat-based. The pterosaur is considered the first vertebrate animal to achieve powered flight, but exactly what constituted the giant reptile's diet has remained elusive. Until now, most studies have theorised their diet mainly based on anatomical features revealed by fossils, such as the structure of their beak. Some prior research has found partially digested food remains in pterosaur fossils, either within the stomach or the mouth, suggesting they ate fish and insects. While a few species of the giant beast had beak shapes indicating they might have eaten plants, fruits, nuts, and seeds, direct evidence has been lacking. Now, a new study, published in the journal Science Bulletin, provides the first direct evidence that pterosaurs also ate full meals consisting of plants. The findings are based on an analysis of a well-preserved young pterosaur of the species Sinopterus atavismus, which grew up to a wingspan of two to four meters in adulthood. The remains were unearthed at the famous Jehol Biota in northeastern China, a fossil site dated to about 145 million years ago to 100.5 million years ago. Studies suggest this region was once home to several lakes and wetlands with nearby volcanoes that periodically blanketed the area in ash. Researchers, including those from Beijing's Chinese Academy of Sciences, found the pterosaur fossil with stomach remains containing an abundance of tiny plant cell particles. These particles, called phytoliths, have previously been found in the stomachs of plant-eating dinosaurs, but never in pterosaurs before. Since phytoliths were not found anywhere else in the immediate fossil site region, researchers concluded these particles originated from the pterosaur's stomach. Scientists also found small stones called gastroliths inside the stomach remains of the giant reptile, which have been found in the guts of other herbivorous dinosaurs. These tiny stones are well known to have aided plant-eating dinosaurs in digesting plant parts by grinding them in the gut. Overall, researchers uncovered 320 phytoliths from inside the pterosaur specimen. However, scientists have yet to determine the species of plants the pterosaur likely consumed. "Phytolitholith morphologies in the stomach contents, with this high diversity, are nearly impossible to attribute to one single taxon based on the recent knowledge, which suggests that Sinopterus might have consumed a diverse range of plants,' they wrote in the study. The findings conclude a long-standing debate that at least some species of pterosaurs ate full meals consisting only of plants.
