bone from Dinosaur Cove , Australia , prove the presence of fly reptiles at the location 107 million years ago . The importance of this find prevarication in the fact that at the time the Cove lay inside the Antarctic Circle , meaning the Sun did not rise for weeks on close . This certainly tells us something important about pterosaur behavior – either they migrated , hibernated or could track down in close - total darkness – but we do n’t yet sleep together which .
During the Cretaceous , Australia place far to the south of its current location . Northern Australia , home to giant sauropods such asAustralotitan cooperensisand most of Australia ’s known pterosaurs , was at temperate parallel of latitude but the southerly coastline initially rest south of the Antarctic Circle . The uncovering by Dr Thomas Rich and Dr Pat Vickers - Rich of the mien of expectant - eyed dinosaur osseous tissue along this coastline do a gyration in how dinosaur more generally were seen . The so - calleddinosaurs of darknessproved the capacitance of some terrible lizards to pull round tenacious periods without sunlight , reshaping questions such as whether dinosaurs were quick - blooded .
After tunnel 60 beat ( 200 feet ) into a seaside drop-off the same digs also flex up three bones that were identify as being from pterosaurs , but were then neglect for more than 30 geezerhood . Now there is at long last someoneinvestigating Australia ’s pterosaurs . Now , Curtin University Ph.D. studentAdele Pentlandand the original discoverer have published their analysis in a new paper .
Co-authors on the paper and Australian paleontology legends Dr Tom Rich and Professor Pat Vickers-Rich holding the pterosaur specimens described in the paper.Image Credit: Museums Victoria/Tim Ziegler
“ In 2019 I was working on a bone labelled as a pterosaur , but it was actually a new variety of theropod , ” Pentland told IFLScience . For most masses , a new dinosaur might be the bill of excitement , but Pentland bang her chosen field , “ So I was let off to work on these and confirm they really were pterosaur . ”
The bones turn out to be the pelvic bones of an adult and jejune pterosaur , as well as a crushed section of a puerile ’s wing . These are the first juvenile pterosaur off-white found in Australia , as well as the continent ’s oldest know pterosaur remains . All are small , and expect like they might total from a humble - sized birdie . However , through compare with a pelvis of a Brazilian pterosaur Pentland reason out the adult would still have had a 2 - meter ( 7 infantry ) wingspan , reflecting these creature ' capacitance to motor vast wing with relatively small bodies .
Pentland told IFLScience the bones are insufficient to tell if these were from a Modern species or an already hump one . Indeed , she said , “ I could n’t even work out which crime syndicate they belonged to . ” Without a skull , key diet is credibly also impossible .
Adele Pentland in silhouette compared to the adult and juvenile polar pterosaur and a Queensland specimen (grey)Image Credit: Adele Pentland
The authoritative feature film of the discovery , however , is the location and old age . lay to rest in 107 - million - year - honest-to-goodness rock and roll the flying reptiles kick the bucket below the Antarctic Circle , raising the doubtfulness of how they thieve with winter . The satellite may have been lovesome then , but the winters would have been just as gloomy , and almost as cold .
“ I ’m not certain if hibernation is realistic for pterosaur as they had a gamey metabolic rate , ” Pentland told IFLScience . “ No paper I ’ve scan has proposed hibernation , but then few have been found at polar latitude , just three bones from Antarctica . ”
Migration is a more plausible selection for the pterosaur than for the terrestrial dinosaurs of darkness . “ Previous research suggests they could fly quite well from a youthful age , ” Pentland tell IFLScience .
Nevertheless , “ It will only be a matter of sentence until we are able to find whether pterosaur migrated northwards during the harsh winter to spawn , or whether they adapted to polar conditions , ” Pentland said in astatement . “ discover the answer to this question will help researchers comfortably sympathise these mysterious flying reptiles , ”
The discipline is published inHistorical Biology .
