(ORDO NEWS) — Chilean scientists were the first to discover in the Southern Hemisphere the remains of a “winged lizard” that lived during the Jurassic period. It is also called a pterosaur.
It is reported by Phys.org.
Pterosaurs are reptiles that could fly. They existed along with dinosaurs during the Mesozoic era. Most of the individuals were small, but over time, some lizards grew so much that they became larger than other animals that can fly.
This species is conventionally divided into two different groups. Rhamphorhynchoids had very long tails and jaws with a huge number of teeth. Pterodactyloids in most cases lacked teeth and their tails were short.
Experts found the remains of a dinosaur in the Atacama Desert back in 2009. A new study by scientists has finally confirmed the fact that this is a pterosaur, Rhamphorhynchia.
Jonathan Alarcon told that the creatures had a very large wingspan, which reached two meters. They also differed in the presence of a long tail and a tapered muzzle. He noted that the discovery made can be considered the oldest of all those pterosaurs that were previously found in Chile.
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