The ability to fly won’t save you from becoming a land predator’s next meal. At least, that’s what one pterosaur may have found out. An international research team recently discovered rare neck vertebrae from a prehistoric flying reptile that was likely bitten by a crocodile-like animal 76 million years ago during the Cretaceous Period. The team published their recent findings in the Journal of Palaeontology.
This rare find could help researchers better understand the predator-prey dynamics of that time and give a better understanding of how crocodilians found their foods.
During an international field course in 2023, the research team unearthed the neck vertebra of a juvenile pterosaur. The fossil was found in Canada’s Dinosaur Provincial Park, which is located in Alberta — a hot spot for prehistoric discoveries.
According to a press release, the vertebra has a “circular four-millimeter-wide puncture mark from a crocodilian tooth,” and is a rare ...
