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“Missing Link”: Scottish researchers unveil new dinosaur species

Experts speak of a “find of the century”: On Tuesday, the fossil of a previously unknown pterosaur was unveiled in Scotland. It is a new, giant genus of pterosaurs that was as big as an albatross – with its 2.5 meter wingspan, it represents an important gap in the understanding of reptilian evolution.

editorial staff
22 Feb 2022 19:39

It was as big as an albatross: The fossil of a pterosaur of unprecedented proportions from the Jurassic era was unveiled on Tuesday at the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh. Discovered on the Isle of Skye in northwest Scotland in 2017, the pterosaur had a wingspan of more than 2.5 meters and lived around 170 million years ago.

So far, only significantly smaller complete skeletons of pterosaurs were known from the Jurassic. Later, in the Cretaceous period, the pterosaurs grew to the size of fighter jets, the museum said in a statement.

Particularly valuable find

The discovery fills a gap in the evolutionary history of reptiles, Natalia Jagielska, the scientist in charge of researching the find, told the British news agency PA. It is a previously unknown genus, which was given the name Dearc sgiathanach.

The extremely delicate petrified skeleton was a “century find” in Great Britain, enthused the scientist. The fossil has now been added to the collection at the National Museum of Scotland but is said to remain the subject of research.