Ancient 'Dragon' Fossil Unearthed After 240 Million Years | WION Podcast

Welcome to our podcast where we cover unique and interesting stories for you. In this episode, we will talk about discovery of a 240 million year old fossil of a creature nicknamed the dragon. In the latest discovery, scientists have found a new and remarkably complete fossil, which is said to belong to a 16ft, 5mm long aquatic reptile that existed in Triassic period. According to scientists, the creature is around 240 million years old and has been called a dragon since it has an extremely long neck. It is also known as Deinocephalosaurus orientalis, which is a species that was originally identified in 2003. This newly found fossil has permitted scientists to analyze the full anatomy of the bizarre prehistoric beast. An international team discovered the fossil from Guizhou province in southern China, which was then displayed at the National Museum Scotland. Dr. Nick Fraser, who was part of the international team which closely studied the fossil, said that for the first time, scientists have been able to locate the fossil in full. He said that it was a very strange animal. It had flipper-like limbs and its neck is longer than its body and tail combined, Dr. Fraser said. The researchers said that the animal's long, bendy and flexible neck, which has 32 separate vertebrae, might have given a hunting advantage and allowed Deinocephalosaurus orientalis to search for food present in crevices under the water. The scientists discovered the fossil in ancient limestone deposits in southern China. This discovery just adds to the weirdness of the Triassic, said Dr. Fraser while speaking to BBC News. And every time we look in these deposits, we find something new, he added. Scientists claimed that the animal appeared similar to Tanistropheus hydroides, which is a marine reptile from the Triassic period. Both reptiles were of similar size and have several features of the skull in common, including a fish-trap type of dentition. However, Deinocephalosaurus is unique in possessing many more vertebrae both in the neck and in the torso, giving the animal a much more snake-like appearance, the research team said, as reported by ABC News. The international team added that the reptile was clearly very well adapted to an oceanic lifestyle, as indicated by the flippered limbs and exquisitely preserved fishes in its stomach region. The team had experts from different countries, including Scotland, Germany, the United States and China. The paper, which described a set of new fossils of the animal, has been published in the journal Earth and Environmental Science. Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh That's all from this podcast. Thanks for tuning in. If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe and share your thoughts in the comments. Stay connected for more exciting discussions and updates in our next podcast.