The archeological fraternity seems to be enriching itself fast with a series of fossilized animal finds across the world. In yet another discovery, scientists unearthed a new long-necked, gliding reptile, preserved in 220 million-year old sediments of eastern North America. – The new find is remarkably different!
With its soaring, long-neck, the new reptile is rightly named Mecistotrachelos apeoros.
Does this further emphasize a life style in the trees? Perhaps yes, as it is found to possess an unusual feet, which are preserved in a hooked posture. This strongly suggests that the new glider has a grasping habit.
The reptile seems to have been feeding on insects, scuttling up tree trunks. Its structure suggests that the reptile glided from tree to tree.
It is not the first reptile find that possessed gliding membranes. Two other similar reptiles were found previously from the Triassic Period. But, the newness about the recent find is its much longer neck, thereby conforming more to the ancient gliding lizard – and not Draco.
Though the relationships of Mecistotrachelos are unclear, Nick Fraser of the Virginia Museum of Natural History, who discovered the fossils, predicts its probable relation to the protorosaurs — an extinct reptiles-group with a long neck.
This little flying, long-naked reptile looks interestingly bizarre.
