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Apr 25 2021 Read 6 Times
An international team of researchers from China, Brazil, UK, Denmark and Japan have described a new Jurassic pterosaur
Kunpengopterus antipollicatus, as having the oldest true opposed thumb - a novel structure previously not known in pterosaurs.
Discovered in the Tiaojishan Formation of Liaoning, China, the new 160-million year old species dubbed ‘Monkeydactyl’, is a small-bodied darwinopteran pterosaur with an estimated wingspan of 85 cm. Most importantly, the specimen was preserved with an opposed pollex (“thumb”) on both hands.
The research team scanned the fossil of
K. antipollicatus using micro-computed tomography (micro-CT), a technique making use of X-ray to image an object. By studying its forelimb morphology and musculature, they suggest that
Scientists have identified the oldest known flying reptile with an opposed thumb syfy.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from syfy.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.