Stay Curious

SIGN UP FOR OUR WEEKLY NEWSLETTER AND UNLOCK ONE MORE ARTICLE FOR FREE.

Sign Up

VIEW OUR Privacy Policy


Discover Magazine Logo

WANT MORE? KEEP READING FOR AS LOW AS $1.99!

Subscribe

ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER?

FIND MY SUBSCRIPTION
Advertisement

Jurassic fail: fish accidentally snags pterosaur, and both die

Discover the tale of Rhamphorhynchus pterosaur and Aspidorhynchus fish's fatal encounter in Solnhofen, a Jurassic period fossil site.

Newsletter

Sign up for our email newsletter for the latest science news

Sign Up

"Get off!" "No, YOU get off!" "Okay, we let go on three. One... tw..." "Wait, wait, is that one, two, three and then we let go, or one, two, let go?" "One, two, let go." "Okay, okay. One... two..." And they both died.

Here is a fatal accident, etched in stone. This fossil comes from Solnhofen in Germany and dates back to the Jurassic period. On the left is

Rhamphorhynchus.

It’s a pterosaur – one of many flying reptiles that flapped through the skies while the dinosaurs ruled the land. Its arm bones, which supported its leathery wings, stretch out to the left of the image, while its long, stiff tail points downwards. On the right is Aspidorhynchus

, a predatory fish with a long, pointed snout. On first glance, you might think that the fish tried to eat the pterosaur. But Eberhard Frey and Helmut Tischlinger have been studying ...

Stay Curious

JoinOur List

Sign up for our weekly science updates

View our Privacy Policy

SubscribeTo The Magazine

Save up to 40% off the cover price when you subscribe to Discover magazine.

Subscribe
Advertisement

0 Free Articles