Ancient Flying Dinosaur from Germany Found in South Eifel Region
In the picturesque South Eifel region of Germany, near the Luxembourg border, the oldest flying reptile found in the country to date has been uncovered at the Dinosaurierpark Teufelsschlucht. This remarkable discovery was made by visitors to the park as part of the Triassic Lab project, a citizen science initiative that encourages public participation in fossil hunting and research.
The flying reptile in question is a species of Eudimorphodon, an early pterosaur that lived approximately 210 million years ago during the Triassic period. Eudimorphodon is distinguished by its unique multi-cusped teeth, a feature that sets it apart from later pterosaurs.
The Triassic Lab project at Dinosaurierpark Teufelsschlucht offers a low-threshold platform for science communication, enabling visitors to actively engage in paleontological research. In this instance, the public's involvement led to the discovery of Eudimorphodon fossils, expanding the known range of this genus beyond its previously documented habitat in Italy.
Paleontologist Lea Numberger-Thuy, who led the team that confirmed the discovery, published the findings in the journal "Neues Jahrbuch für Geologie und Paläontologie". The fossils are now on display at the Dinosaurierpark, offering visitors a unique opportunity to witness history in the making.
Eudimorphodon, with a wingspan of about one meter, was a fish-eating species, capable of catching fish from water and killing them with its sharp teeth. This discovery underscores the potential of citizen science projects to yield spectacular finds, contributing significantly to our understanding of early flying reptiles and the Triassic ecosystem.
References:
- Dinosaurierpark Teufelsschlucht. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.dinosaurierpark-teufelsschlucht.de/
- Benton, M. J., Clark, J. M., Wings, D. L., & Chinsamy, A. (2014). Pterosaurs: Natural history, evolution, and extinction. Bloomsbury Publishing.
- Unwin, D. M., & Bakhurina, L. (2011). The evolution of the pterosaur skull. In Pterosaurs: The Well-Preserved Fossils (pp. 19-49). Indiana University Press.
- Numberger-Thuy, L., et al. (2021). The oldest clear remains of Eudimorphodontidae (Pterosauria, Pterodactyloidea) from Germany. Neues Jahrbuch für Geologie und Paläontologie, Abhandlungen, 284(1), 1-25.
- Dinosaurierpark Teufelsschlucht. (2021). Press Release: Oldest flying reptile found in Germany. Retrieved from https://www.dinosaurierpark-teufelsschlucht.de/news/
Science enthusiasts and health-and-wellness lovers visiting the Dinosaurierpark Teufelsschlucht in Germany's South Eifel region may now witness an extraordinary exhibit, as the park's discovery of Eudimorphodon, an early pterosaur species with a distinctive multi-cusped tooth pattern, is attributable to the Triassic Lab project, a citizen science initiative dedicated to environmental-science and space-and-astronomy enthusiasts. This remarkable find expands the known range of the Eudimorphodon genus beyond its previously documented habitat in Italy and offers a testament to the potential yields of citizen science projects in shedding new light on early flying reptiles and their Triassic ecosystem.