By: Harper Dame
A new species of pterosaur has been found off the coast of the Atlantic in Angola (southern Africa). Pterosaurs were the first flying vertebrates, some with a wingspan of up to 12 meters (39 feet). Similar to that of pterodactyls, this new genus of pterosaur is thought to have similar properties and features. From recent data, it is estimated that the wingspan of this new fossil was 4.8 meters on average (16 feet). Unlike pterodactyls, this new species is considered to be a part of the pterosaur group, meaning it is characterized as a dinosaur. In addition, the wing span is approximately 4 meters larger than the average pterosaur. These new discoveries have given a gateway to new insights into the world of paleontology.
An international group of researchers, including two vertebrate paleontologists from Southern Methodist University (SMU), named this new genus and species Epapatelo otyikokolo. A genus is a taxonomic group that ranks above species and below family. In other words, it is a subdivision or subfamily of individuals within a species. When referring to the scientific name of any creature, there are typically two words. The first word generally refers to the genus or the subgroup of the animal. The second word often denotes the species, the family to which the specific creature belongs. For example, the scientific name for a sheep is Ovis aries. 'Ovis,' refers to the genus name, and 'aries' refers to the species.
The new genus, ‘Epapatelo’ is a translation of the word “wing” from the Angolan Nhaneca dialect. “Otyikokolo,” the species name, is the translation of the word ‘lizard.’ The researchers decided to use the Nhaneca or Nyaneka people’s native language as they are people of an Indigenous group from Angola’s Nambie Province. This province is located in the region where the Epapetelo otyikokolo was found.
These new reptilian fossils were found near the same site in which large marine fossils were found. These are currently displayed at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History.
Dating back to the Late Cretaceous period, “This new discovery gives us a much better understanding of the ecological role of the creatures that were flying above the waves of Bentiaba” the associate in the Huffington Department of Earth Sciences, Michael J. Polcyn stated. The Cretaceous period dates back between 145.5 and 65.5 million years ago.
This dinosaur was believed to diet on fish, similar to modern-day sea birds. Based on knowledge of the lifestyle and geology of the land during this time, scientists have predicted that the Epapatelo otyikokolo would spend its days flying over the sea in small bunches to hunt and gather food for their pods.
The main predators of these flying creatures are thought to be large marine mammals that attacked while these pterosaurs hunted for their meals. Numerous bite and teeth marks found in some of the fossils support this claim. Scientists infer that these creatures must have beene shark ancestors due to the marks and patterns left on the bones.
The team responsible for this discovery had been collecting for nearly 13 years since 2005 before making a definitive conclusion. The scientists collected fourteen bones in Bentiaba, Angola, starting in 2005. Jacobs, another researcher, called Bentiaba, a section of Angola's coastline, a “museum in the ground” due to the numerous fossil sites and discoveries made there.
Works cited
Lazara, Enrico de. “New Species of Pterosaur Unearthed in Angola.” SciNews. Sci.News. 24
Southern Methodist University. "New pterosaur species found in sub-Saharan Africa."
ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 9 November 2022.