PICK OF THE WEEK: Fossil of tiny flying reptile found
PICK OF THE WEEK: Fossil of tiny flying reptile found
Published: 12:00 am Feb 15, 2008
The skeleton of a tiny reptile which lived 120 million years ago has been found in China. The creature lived in trees, had a wingspan of just 30 cm and was about the size of a sparrow. It’s been called the Nemicolopterus crypticus — which means ‘hidden flying forest dweller’. The reptile was a pterosaur — a family of creatures which lived alongside dinosaurs. They are also called pterodactyls.
Experts say it’s unusual that this reptile is so small as some pterosaurs were the size of a small plane. This creature was probably one of the smallest pterosaurs around. The fossil also shows the flying creature had no teeth, curved feet and ate insects. A fossil is the remains of something that lived long ago.