The Transylvanian Basin of Sebes-Glod in Romania is known for its wealth of Late Cretaceous fossils and scientists have now discovered bones belonging to a previously unknown species of pterosaur in the area. There have been other such discoveries made in the past in the same area such as the crocodylomorphs, which were a precursor to the modern-day crocodile.
The latest fossil discovery suggests that the pterosaur was a large flying creature and have a wingspan of nearly 3 meters. It lived around 68 million years ago and has been dubbed the Eurazhdarcho langendorfensis. This new species belonged to the pterosaur group known as the azhdarchids, according to scientists.
Although not dinosaurs, pterosaurs lived and flew among the ancient creatures. The earliest forms of pterosaurs are known as pterodactyls and lived during the Triassic Period, around 200 million years ago. They continued to develop during the Jurassic and Cretaceous period in the form of azhdarchids.
The discovery of the new skeleton comes in the same region as creatures that were close to modern day animals such as turtles and small mammals. The dwarf sauropod Magyarosaurus dacus and Balaur the dromaeosaur are examples of such creatures.
The new discovery will shed light on the transitory period, where winged creatures had started inhabiting the earth in a more developed form.
