Friday, March 02, 2012

"Ghost dragon hunter" reptile from China

A striking-looking critter

China has produced many of the most memorable discoveries of dinosaurs and other ancient reptiles in the past two decades.  Who can forget the giant killer chicken?  Well, this one is almost as memorable. Guidraco venator was a pterosaur with a really startling collection of teeth so long they bend out to the sides and extend above or below the opposite jaw. It looks like the head of a crocodilian, not a flying reptile.  This dentition would make a natural trap for fish (which were found near the fossil) or even small land animals.
COMMENT: Of all the things I like about Mesozoic reptiles and their relatives, perhaps the best is that there's always room for them to get stranger....

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