240-Million-Year-Old 'Chinese Dragon' Fossil Discovered

Scientists in Scotland have discovered a fossil of a giant marine reptile named 'Dinosphalosaurus', which has become famous for its resemblance to Chinese dragons. This five-meter-long reptile dates back to the Triassic period (240 million years ago) and was found in Guizhou province in southern China. National Museums of Scotland, in collaboration with an international team of scientists, unveiled this fossil. Unique features of this reptile include an extraordinarily long neck with 32 separate vertebrae, wing-like limbs, and the presence of preserved fish in its stomach. Scientists believe that this reptile was fully adapted to life in the ocean. A comparison of this reptile with another marine reptile named 'Tanystropheus hydroides', which lived in the Middle Triassic in Europe and China, shows that both reptiles were similar in size and some skull features, such as the type of teeth. However, Dinosphalosaurus is unique due to having more vertebrae in its neck and torso, giving it a snake-like appearance. The discovery of this fossil provides new information about marine reptiles of the Triassic period and the astonishing biodiversity of that era.