- Probably the first flying dinosaur fund in MV.
In an abandoned clay pit near Grimmen (district of Vorpommern-Rügen), a fossilized bone fragment has been discovered that scientists from the University of Greifswald attribute to a pterosaur. The fragment of an elongated, thin bone, which splits into two nearly parallel branches in the middle, is only 27 millimeters long, as the university reported. It is estimated to be approximately 180 million years old.
The researchers examined the small fossil, among other things, using a CT scanner. "The results show that the bone was very thin-walled and appeared to contain hollow spaces," they reported. This, along with its shape, suggests that it is the fused tibia and fibula of a small pterosaur.
Scientists point to the discovery site
In fact, from the Jurassic period, there is a group of small, predatory pterosaurs with wing spans of around 1.5 meters, long tails, and a few kilograms of body weight: the Rhamphorhynchidae. They had beaks with prominent teeth.
The researchers admit that other animals can also have divided or fused bones, such as frogs, early turtles, marine reptiles, and birds. Nevertheless, they believe that it is the bone fragment of a pterosaur and point to the discovery site. From there, the University of Greifswald's dinosaur, Emausaurus ernsti, also comes.
If the new fossil, discovered in the year 2022, is indeed the remains of an example of the Rhamphorhynchidae, it would, according to the university, be one of the oldest records of these animals worldwide and the first pterosaur in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.
The bone fragment discovered in Germany, specifically near Grimmen, shares similarities with the bones of the Rhamphorhynchidae, a group of small, predatory pterosaurs from the Jurassic period. The University of Greifswald's research indicates that this could potentially be the first recorded pterosaur in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.
