The seized fossil includes the entire skeleton of a pterosaur.

The Brazilian police stumbled upon a very special find during a house raid. They found fossil remains on six square meters of limestone slabs. The fossil has been transferred to the University of São Paulo for further analysis. And that’s where researchers made a mind-boggling discovery.

Exceptionally well preserved

The fossilized remains obtained in the police raid appear to belong to a Tupandactylus navigans; a now extinct flying reptile that lived during the Early Cretaceous in present-day Brazil. But the most striking thing is the condition of the remains. For example, it turns out to be the complete, largely intact skeleton of a Tupandactylus. In addition to the bones, even partially soft tissues have survived the test of time. It is therefore one of the best preserved fossils of a Tupandactylus that researchers have ever seen.

More about Tupandactylus navigans
Tupandactylus is a genus of Tapejaridae; a group of pterosaurs. The pterosaur was a flying reptile that lived side-by-side with the dinosaurs during the Triassic Jurassic and Cretaceous Period (228 to 66 million years ago). Yet they are the lesser known cousins ​​of the dinosaurs. Pterosaurs were the very first animals with a backbone that could fly. Tupandactylus lived in present-day Brazil. Their name is derived from Tupan (the thunder god of the Tupi) and the Classical Greek daktylos (finger), a reference to the typical wing finger of the pterosaurs. The reptiles had impressive combs on the head. This may have served for intra-species communication and may have been brightly colored. Apart from the crest, the skull is rather elongated, 3.6 times longer than it is high.

It is a special discovery. Because normally paleontologists find only partial remains of a Tupandactylus. This is the first time that paleontologists have been able to study more than just the skull of this species and have the opportunity to look at the entire body of a Tupandactylus navigans. Using CT scans, the research team even managed to reveal the bones hidden in the limestone slabs.

The discovered fossil after the manufactured 3D model of the Tupandactylus. Image: Victor Beccari

main comb
Tupandactylus navigans is mainly known for its huge main crest. And the newly discovered specimen also appears to have such an impressive main comb. The researchers suspect that this comb got in the way a bit when flying and that the animal probably didn’t stay in the air for long. That is not to say that the reptile did not take off at all. This is how the Tupandactylus about all necessary adjustments to be able to fly.

crest

In addition, the newly found specimen appears to have an unusually large crest on its chin that is part of its already impressive skull decoration. The researchers hypothesize that this species had a foraging lifestyle because of its long neck and the proportions of its limbs.

How all these factors influenced the flight performance and lifestyle of these animals, by the way, is something future research will have to show. The researchers also have many other questions that they hope to answer in follow-up studies. Because it is not uncommon for a scientific discovery to lead to new questions. At the same time, the researchers also take a moment to reflect on this exceptional discovery. “Here we describe the most complete fossil of a Tapejaridae from Brazil that the skeleton of a Tupandactylus navigans includes even soft tissue preservation,” the study reads. “This specimen provides new insight into the animal’s anatomy.”