Scientists in China have discovered fossils of an ancient sea ‘dragon’ that lived on Earth 240 million years ago.
The animal, nicknamed the ‘Chinese Dragon’, belongs to the species Dinocephalosaurus Orientalis, a reptile that used its long neck to hunt prey in shallow waters during the Triassic. Dinocephalosaurus Orientalis resembles the mythological fire-eaters and water beasts of antiquity.
The remains of the “dragon” were discovered in 2003 in limestone deposits in southern China, but only now have scientists collected fragments of Vodino, restoring the full appearance of this ancient, 5-meter-long predator.
New research results published in the journal Earth and Environmental Science: Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh reveal surprising details about this ancient creature.
Nick Fraser, curator of natural sciences at the National Museums of Scotland, said the Chinese Dragon continues to amaze palaeontologists with its appearance, which is very reminiscent of the mythical Chinese dragon.
What particularly surprised archaeologists was its unique neck, 2.3 meters long and with 32 vertebrae, which significantly exceeds the number of cervical vertebrae in giraffes and humans.
The snake-like shape of this ancient predator’s neck probably gave it the ability to sneak up on its prey using its upright limbs. Some fish captured by the “Chinese Dragon” have survived in its belly to this day, indicating its predatory lifestyle.
Researchers note that the “Chinese dragon,” despite its similarity to the mythical Loch Ness Monster, is not closely related to plesiosaurs.
“We hope that our further research will help us decipher the evolution of this group of animals, especially the functioning of the elongated neck,” says first author Stefan Spiekmann from the Stuttgart State Museum of Natural History.
The discovery of the ‘Chinese Dragon’ opens new frontiers in the study of animal evolution and adaptation over millions of years.
