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Fossil seized in police raid turns out to be nearly-complete skeleton of extinct flying reptile
The 100-million-year-old fossil was confiscated by Brazilian police in São Paulo several years ago.
By
Joseph Guzman | Aug. 26, 2021
Tupandactylus navigans (artist’s rendering) CREDIT: Victor Beccari
A fossil confiscated during a Brazilian police raid several years ago has turned out to be one of the most complete records of a 100-million-year-old flying reptile species ever discovered.
Tapejarids lived during the Cretaceous period and are a subgroup of flying reptiles called pterosaurs. The extinct reptiles are known for the uniquely large crests that protruded from the crown of their heads.
Fossils of the winged reptile are common in Brazil, but the finds have historically been only of partial remains.
When police carried out the bust at São Paulo’s Santos Harbour, they retrieved six square cuts of limestone slabs that preserved a fossil belonging to a species of tapejarid called Tupandactylus navigans.
More:
https://thehill.com/changing-america/sustainability/environment/569607-fossil-seized-in-police-raid-turns-out-to-be
Also posted in Science:
https://www.democraticunderground.com/122877799