Fossil Reveals 240-Million-Year-Old "Dragon"

Scientists have unveiled a new, remarkably complete fossil - a 16-ft. (5 m)-long aquatic reptile from the Triassic period, as reported by Victoria Gill for BBC News.

The "dragon" is identified as Dinocephalosaurus orientalis, a species originally discovered in 2003. I Image: National Museums Scotland/PA Wire

The creature, dating back 240 million years, has been nicknamed a "dragon" due to its extremely long neck. Identified as Dinocephalosaurus orientalis, a species originally discovered in 2003, this spectacular new fossil has allowed scientists to gain insight into the full anatomy of this peculiar prehistoric creature.

The findings are published in the journal Earth and Environmental Science: Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh.

Dr. Nick Fraser, from National Museums Scotland, who participated in the international team studying the fossil, remarked that this was the first time scientists had the opportunity to examine it in its entirety.

He described it as "a very strange animal," noting that "it had flipper-like limbs and its neck is longer than its body and tail combined."

Fraser speculated that the creature's "long, bendy, and flexible neck," featuring 32 separate vertebrae, might have conferred a hunting advantage - enabling Dinocephalosaurus orientalis to search for food in underwater crevices.

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