New Species Of Pterosaur Discovered In Brazil

A new species of pterosaur was discovered recently near Cruzeiro do Oeste in Brazil, where a bunch of skeleton fossils were discovered in a large mass. The fossils are said to represent various ages, and show that the creature had a large crest on its head (picture after the jump).

The new pterosaur is called the Caiuajara dobruskii — a total of 47 skeleton fossils were discovered, providing scientists with ample samples to learn about the long-lost creature. It is believed the pterosaurs learned to fly at a young age, and that they stuck together in communities.

The image above is a render that shows what they might have looked like over the course of their life (young to old). Though not yet confirmed, there are signs that the pterosaurs were killed off by a drought, or possibly a storm.

Research is being performed by the Universidade do Contestado, with Paulo Manzip leading the way. You can read the full report and check out more images of the discovery over at PLOS One.

VIA: Geekosystem