He shot through the skies, had opposable thumbs, and lived in China during the Jurassic era: he meets the “Monkeydactyl,” a newly discovered ancient dinosaur.
The strange Kunpengopterus antipollicatus, nicknamed Monkeydactyl, lived in a forest ecosystem 160 million years ago, an international team of researchers said in a report published in the journal Current Biology on Monday. Antipollicatus means “opposite thumb” in ancient Greek.
Pterosaurs were the first known vertebrates to fly, the researchers said. He tree pterosaur species marks the oldest of its kind with genuine opposable thumbs, a phenomenon never seen before in the species.
The discovery also marks the oldest known record of a true opposite thumb in Earth history.
Scientists found the Monkeydactyl fossil in the Tiaojishan Formation in Liaoning, China, in September 2019. Using micro-CT scans to expand the anatomical features, they found the small fossil preserved in both hands, which featured a “pollex” or thumb opposite each. .
Chuang Zhao
“Monkeydactyl’s fingers are tiny and partially embedded in the slab. Thanks to the micro-CT scan, we were able to see through the rocks, create digital models and explain how the opposite thumb articulates with the other bones. of the fingers, ”co-author Fion Waisum Ma said in a statement. “This is an interesting discovery. It provides the first evidence of a true opposite thumb, and comes from a pterosaur, which was not known to have an opposite thumb.”
An opposite thumb is extremely rare among reptiles: they are commonly found in humans and other mammals.
Researchers say that the Monkeydactly, a type of darwinopter, so named by Charles Darwin, used the thumb to climb and grab, an adaptation for living in trees. In addition to the thumbs, the researchers determined that the animal was very small, with a wingspan of about 33 centimeters.
It managed to avoid the greatest competition in its complex forest habitat, which featured closely related species that adapted to different niches.
“Darwinoptera are a group of Jurassic pterosaurs from China and Europe, named Darwin because of their unique transitional anatomy that has revealed how evolution affected the anatomy of pterosaurs over time.” , said co-author Rodrigo V. Pêgas. “In addition, a specific Darwinopter fossil with two associated eggs has been preserved, which reveals clues about pterosaur reproduction. Precious fossils have always been considered for these reasons and it is impressive that new Darwinopter species continue to amaze us. ! “