« Steve Gerber (1947 - 2007) | Main | His Attention, You Now Have It »
February 12, 2008
Nemicolopterus crypticus Was Tiny. Really Small.
A tiny, toothless pterodactyl with bat-like wings, bird-like claws and a sharp, pointy beak has just been identified from a remarkably well-preserved Chinese fossil, according to a paper published today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
According to the research team that discovered the sparrow-sized flying reptile, named Nemicolopterus crypticus, the pterosaur could be a record-breaker.
It's "the smallest arboreal pterosaur, the smallest toothless pterosaur and the smallest Cretaceous pterosaur in the world," co-author Xiaolin Wang told Discovery News.
Wang, a paleontologist at the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing, explained that the pterodactyl's features indicate it fed on insects while living in the canopies of ancient forests. Its beak would have been perfectly suited for grabbing bugs, while its curved claws would have helped it hold onto trees.
And I want one as a pet. Come on science, hurry up and start mass cloning the bastards.
(via discovery news)
Posted by Groonk at February 12, 2008 04:18 PM | Ministry of Dinosaurs
