Discovered fossils of a marine creatures similar to a Chinese dragon
An international team of paleontologists has discovered fossils of a 5-meter-long, snake-like marine reptile dating back about 240 million years. The fossils, probably from the Triassic period, were found in the southern Chinese province of Guizhou.
“This discovery allows us to see this extraordinary long-necked animal in its entirety for the first time. We are sure it will capture everyone's imagination with its striking appearance, reminiscent of the mythical, long, serpent-shaped Chinese dragon”
commented Dr Nick Fraser of National Museums Scotland.
“This extraordinary marine reptile is another example of the impressive fossils that continue to be discovered in China,”
said Robert Ellam, a fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh.
“Among all the extraordinary finds we have made in the Triassic of Guizhou province, 'Dinocephalosaurus' probably stands out as the most remarkable”
underlined Professor Li Chun, of the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology in Beijing.
An extremely long neck
The reptile with an extraordinarily long neck, called 'Dinocephalosaurus orientalis', has been completely reconstructed for the first time thanks to the discovery of several fossil specimens. The specimen is similar to 'Tanistropheus hydroides', another marine reptile from the Middle Triassic, both European and Chinese.
Both reptiles had size in common, as well as some features of the skull and fish-trap-like dentition. However, “Dinocephalosaurus” is unique in that it has 32 separate vertebrae in its neck. It has many more vertebrae, in both the neck and torso, than Tanystropheus. These features make “Dinocephalosaurus” look much more snake-like, or a Chinese dragon.
Adapted to aquatic life
The reptile was very well adapted to the marine lifestyle. Its fin-shaped ends testify to this, as do the very well-preserved fish found in the stomach region. Despite superficial similarities, “Dinocephalosaurus” was not closely related to the famous long-necked plesiosaurs, which evolved about 40 million years later and served as the inspiration for the Loch Ness Monster.
The paper was published this Friday in Earth and Environmental Science: Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh.
The publication is available at https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/earth-and-environmental-science-transactions-of-royal-society-of-edinburgh/article/dinocephalosaurus-orientalis-li-2003-a-remarkable-marine-archosauromorph-from-the-middle-triassic-of-southwestern-china/C7D48539139475EFCAAC35342089ACB8
