加拿大
亞伯達大學古生物學研究人員發現了一種翼龍新種，這是生存在7000萬年前的飛行爬蟲類。
這具化石不僅是全新的物種，還是第一個在卑詩省發現的翼龍，發現地點是在溫哥華東海岸的島霍恩比島。
「它可能從恐龍、魚類或海生爬蟲類演化而來」，古生物學的博士生阿爾布爾說。她的發現刊登在1月號的「加拿大地球科學雜誌」。
她比對7000萬年前漫遊在中國的翼龍化石，得到鑑定身份的第一個線索。「我發現到，以前發表過的一篇論文中，對於牙齒的描述，跟這次發現的翼龍化石非常接近，我們的化石牙齒小而排列相近。他們令我想起食人魚的牙齒，天生是為了咬下肉塊用的。」阿爾布爾說。
阿爾布爾將此新發現物種，命名為Gwawinapterus beardi，她認為這是一種白堊紀晚期的食腐肉動物。
翼龍有著大腦袋、長長的口鼻部和短短的身體，後腿很短並有很小的尾巴。阿爾布爾說，「牠看起來有點古怪，有點像長頸鹿。翼長約3米，在空中巡查找尋掠食性恐龍吃剩的食物。」。
3年前一名女子在霍恩比島發現這塊顎骨。她將化石給了在奎爾利克姆海灘經營「溫哥華島古生物博物館」的北爾德(Graham Beard)，他是位業餘古生物學家。
北爾德無法識別這個化石，於是將化石給了亞伯達大學，從此一直保存在亞伯達大學，直到阿爾布爾進行調查。
A University of Alberta paleontology researcher has identified a new species of pterosaur, a flying reptile that lived more than 70 million years ago.
The fossil is not only a newly discovered species, it's the first pterosaur of any kind to be found in British Columbia. It was found on Hornby Island, off the east coast of Vancouver Island.
"It could have been from a dinosaur, a fish or a marine reptile," said Arbour, a PhD student in paleontology, whose discovery was published in the January issue of the "Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences."
She said her first clue to the fossil's identity came after she compared it to known species of pterosaur that roamed China more than 70 million years ago.
"I found a previously published paper describing the teeth of a previously discovered pterosaur and ours was very close," said Arbour.
"The teeth of our fossil were small and set close together," said Arbour. "They reminded me of piranha teeth, designed for pecking away at meat."
That led Arbour to believe her new species, named Gwawinapterus beardi was a scavenger of the late Cretaceous period.
Pterosaurs were flying animals with large heads, long snouts and short bodies. They had short hind legs and very small tails. Arbour said the "weird-looking animals" ... "look a little bit like a giraffe."
"It had a wing span of about three meters and patrolled the sky and set down to feed on the leftover kills made by predator dinosaurs of the time such as Albertosaurus," she explained.
The jawbone was found by a woman on Hornby Island three years ago. She gave it to Graham Beard, an amateur paleontologist who runs the Vancouver Island Paleontological Museum at Qualicum Beach.
Beard could not identify the fossil and so passed it along to the University of Alberta, where it was stored until Arbour began her investigation.
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In my healing journey and learning to attain the breath awareness, I become aware of the reality that all the creatures of the world are breathing the same breath. Take action, here and now. From my physical being to the every corner of this out of balance's planet.
