Scientists have discovered a fossil of a protorosaur resembling fantasy dragons

Scientists have discovered a fossil of a protorosaur that is over 240 million years old. It took scientists from Scotland, China, and the United States 10 years to conduct the research. SSPDaily tells about it.

This is stated in a study published in the journal Earth and Environmental Science: Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh.

The protorosaur belongs to the species Dinocephalosaurus orientalis, which was first discovered in 2003. Researchers sometimes say that these animals resemble fantasy dragons because of their long necks.

This is the first time researchers have been able to see Dinocephalosaurus orientalis in full view. The animal's limbs look like flippers, and its neck is longer than its body and tail combined. Researcher Nick Fraser from the National Museum of Scotland suggested that the long and flexible neck of the protorosaur, made up of 32 separate vertebrae, was an advantage when hunting - it was easy to find food in crevices underwater. This species hunted fish.

Scientists also suggest that this particular species of protorosaur could have inspired the creation of the mythical monster from the Scottish Loch Ness.

In a new study, scientists measured the temperature of the Chicxulub crater immediately after the asteroid killed the dinosaurs.

The results of the study show that the temperature of the stones taken from the crater reached 330°C at the end of the Cretaceous period, 145-66 million years ago. The results also suggest that the asteroid impact did not release as much carbon dioxide as previously thought.