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The mass flying hunters, known as pterosaurs, weighed up to several hundred pounds and are even thought to have preyed on baby dinosaurs.
A peculiar discovery was made on White Island, where scientists discovered fossilized remains of a massive prehistoric flying creature with a wingspan of at least 20 feet, the Sunday Times reported.
According to the newspaper, the giant pterosaur belonged to a species known as Hatzegopteryx and lived about 1
These creatures can weigh up to 650 pounds and are even thought to have chased baby dinosaurs, with 3D modeling suggesting that these hunters "use their big leg and wing muscles as catapults" to shoot their heavy bodies at the air.
"It may have been the largest flying creature ever lived so far," says Robert Coeven, the man who made the find.
He also speculates that the unearthed remains probably belong to "one of the first super-pterosaurs," and thinks of it on the spot as "incredibly heavily sought after by humans almost daily." that others overlook to make discoveries like this.
Last year, scientists also found a previously unknown species of giant pterosaur in Utah. [19659006] Over 200 preserved eggs of pterosaurs were also discovered in China in 2017, offering researchers the opportunity to learn more about how pterosaurs progressed from egg to adult.