Scientists Recently Unearthed Additional Remains Of The “Chinese Dragon,” An Aquatic Reptile That Roamed The Earth 240 Million Years Ago, And Were Able To Complete The Entirety Of The Fossil
In China, scientists have found the fossil of a dragon-like creature that lived 240 million years ago.
The fossil was an aquatic reptile that belonged to the species Dinocephalosaurus orientalis and has been nicknamed the “Chinese dragon.”
It was first discovered in the Guizhou Province of southern China in 2003, but recently, additional remains were recovered and pieced together with the original specimen to complete the entirety of the fossil.
Now that the fossil is whole, scientists have been able to identify the ancient carnivore for the first time.
The researchers involved with the discovery were from various parts of the world, including Scotland, Germany, China, and America.
For over 10 years, they studied the fossil at the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing.
“It is yet one more example of the weird and wonderful world of the Triassic that continues to baffle paleontologists,” said Nick Fraser, keeper of natural sciences at National Museums Scotland.
“We are certain that it will capture imaginations across the globe due to its striking appearance, reminiscent of the long and snake-like, mythical Chinese dragon.”
The animal lived during the Triassic period, which was 252 million to 201 million years ago. It measured 16.8 feet long and had a lengthy neck that stretched out to attack prey in shallow waters.
Weiming – stock.adobe.com – illustrative purposes only
Its neck reached 7.7 feet and contained 32 separate vertebrae. In comparison, giraffes only have seven neck vertebrae. The reptile also had flippered limbs that indicated it was well-suited for life in the ocean.
Additionally, some of the fish it consumed were still preserved in its belly.
The strange sea creature bore a resemblance to another marine reptile from the Middle Triassic period, the Tanystropheus hydroides, a type of plesiosaur found in regions across Europe and China. They had several skull features in common.
Although the “dragon” was similar in size and appearance to the Loch Ness Monster, the researchers noted that it was not closely related to the long-necked plesiosaurs that inspired the myth.
“We hope that our future research will help us understand more about the evolution of this group of animals, and particularly how the elongated neck functioned,” said Stephan Spiekman, a postdoctoral researcher at the Stuttgart State Museum of Natural History.
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