[Rockhounds] Fossil reveals 240 million year-old 'dragon'

[Kreigh Tomaszewski]

The creature dates back 240 million years and has been dubbed a "dragon"
because of its extremely long neck.

It is called *Dinocephalosaurus orientalis,* a species that was originally
identified back in 2003.

This spectacular new fossil has allowed scientists to see the full anatomy
of this bizarre prehistoric beast.

Dr Nick Fraser, from National Museums Scotland, who was part of the
international team that studied the fossil, said this was the first time
scientists had been able to see it in full. He described it as "a very
strange animal".

"It had flipper-like limbs and its neck is longer than its body and tail
combined," he said.

The researcher speculated that a "long, bendy and flexible neck", with its
32 separate vertebrae, might have provided a hunting advantage -
allowing *Dinocephalosaurus
orientalis* to search for food in crevices under the water.

The fossil was discovered in ancient limestone deposits in southern China.

"This discovery just adds to the weirdness of the Triassic," Dr Fraser told
BBC News. "And every time we look in these deposits, we find something new."

https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-68374520