A group of scientists discovered the 240-million-year-old fossil of what is described as a "Chinese dragon" that shows what the ancient marine reptile looked like.
The team of international researchers are now able to depict the "bizarre long-necked creature" that is known as Dinocephalosaurus orientalis for the very first time in history. The aquatic reptile has been said to have lived during the Triassic Period in China.
Discovery of Chinese Dragon's Ancient Bones
While the animal has been on scientists' radars since 2003, the discovery of the latest specimens as well as one fully articulated fossil gave them the chance to get a full picture of the ancient creature.
The newly discovered fossil also helped scientists get a "beautiful complete specimen" from the tip of its nose down to the tip of its tail. The keeper of Natural Sciences at National Museums Scotland, Dr. Nick Fraser, said that the bones were curled around in what looked to be a figure of eight and was "very reminiscent of a Chinese dragon."
Several bits and pieces of the fossil would later be identified as the animal that was initially discovered by Li Chun, a professor from the Institute of Vertebrate Palaeontology and Palaeoanthropology in Beijing, as per USA Today.
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The professor first noticed a small vertebra inside a limestone slab while visiting a village in the Guizhou Province in the southwest region of the Asian nation. He then found other bone fragments inside a pig pen nearby and was able to uncover the new species by piecing the fragments together.
Scientists later discovered that the Chinese dragon had 32 separate neck bones, which enabled the reptile to have an extraordinarily long neck. That discovery in particular surprised many scientists who previously speculated that the creature's long neck helped it eat.
An International Effort
However, its exact function remains unclear as said in published findings in the Earth and Environmental Science Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh journal. Fraser said that he was still baffled by the exact function of the creature's long neck, noting that his only assumption was it allowed the animal to feed in the waters that had rocks and perhaps crevices in them.
Scientists said in a press release that the Chinese dragon's neck length drew comparison to that of Tanystropheus hydroides. The two reptiles were of similar size and have several features of their skulls that they have in common, according to People.
Fraser said that the newly discovered reptile is yet another example of the weird and wonderful world of the Triassic period that continues to baffle paleontologists. He added that they were sure it would capture the imaginations of people across the world due to its striking appearance.
The team of researchers involved in the latest endeavor included those from China, Germany, Scotland, and the United States. They studied the fossil over the course of 10 years at the Beijing institute before they are expected to publicly announce their findings on Friday.
Chun said that the discovery was an international effort, noting that working together with colleagues from the U.S. and Europe resulted in success. She added that the Chinese dragon is probably the most remarkable among extraordinary finds in the Triassic of Guizhou Province, said ABC News.
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