It Has More Than 400 Teeth.. The Discovery Of A New Type Of Dinosaur With A Beak Similar To That Of A Duck
Scientists discovered a new type of dinosaur in Germany that had more than 400 teeth, and it ate in a similar way to ducks and flamingos, or as it is known as the flamingo bird.
The nearly complete fossil, part of the pterosaur family, was found by chance in a Bavarian quarry, while scientists were excavating a large block of limestone containing crocodile bones.
Since the discovery of the first pterosaurs in Bavarian limestone in the 18th century, hundreds of flying reptile remains have been found, making the Franconian Jura in Bavaria one of the richest pterosaur sites in the world.
The research was led by Professor David Martell of the University of Portsmouth, Hampshire, and involved paleontologists from England, Germany and Mexico.
Professor Martell said: “The almost complete skeleton was found in a layer of very finely layered limestone which preserves the fossils beautifully. The jaws of this pterosaur are really long and lined with small, precise teeth, with small spaces between them like a nit comb.”
He added, “The long jaw curves upwards like a sparrowhawk, and at the end it looks like a spoon-shaped beak. There are no teeth in the front of his mouth, but there are teeth along both jaws all the way to the back.”
He continued: “The most exciting thing is that some of the teeth have a hook at the end, which has not been seen before in pterosaurs at all. He may have been using these tiny hooks to catch the tiny shrimp that the pterosaur was likely feeding on - making sure he swallowed it without squeezing it between the teeth."
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