Monday, March 12, 2012

A fight to the death: Fossilised remains show ancient fish died in the act of eating flying reptile

 
Scientist have discovered the fossil remains of an ancient armoured fish in the act of snaring its prey.
The remarkable find, dug in Bavaria, south Germany are some 120 millions years old, and show that despite having wings to get away, the long-tailed pterosaur wasn't out of bounds for carnivorous fish, aspidorhynchus.
The flying reptile's wings were found in or around the mouths of their 25-inch fish predators, suggesting that they may have been reeled in wing-first.
Captured: The remains of a flying reptile near to the jaws of an ancient armoured fish have surprised scientists who don't believe the fish would have feasted on the creature
Captured: The remains of a flying reptile near to the jaws of an ancient armoured fish have surprised scientists who don't believe the fish would have feasted on the creature
These couldn't have been missed; their wingspan was some 27-inches.
Incredibly, one of the remains of the pterosaur has another, smaller fish, leptolepides, seemingly lodged in it's throat.
 

So before it had had time to digest its dinner, the flying reptile went on to be snared for someone else's meal!
But scientists doubt whether the pterosaur was a regular part of the diet of the armoured fish, and suggest the attack could have been a mistake.

Captured: The remains of a flying reptile near to the jaws of an ancient armoured fish have surprised scientists who don't believe the fish would have feasted on the creature
Captured: The remains of a flying reptile near to the jaws of an ancient armoured fish have surprised scientists who don't believe the fish would have feasted on the creature
No-one's a winner here: After tussling with the flying reptile, it is thought the fish would have become exhausted and suffocated



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