Relevance: Prelims: Current Affairs
Paleontologists have identified a new species, named Cryodrakon boreas, and declared that it could be one of the largest flying animals.
Key highlights
- Cryodrakon (cold dragon) is a genus of azhdarchid pterosaur that lived over 77 million years ago during the Late Cretaceous period in what is now Canada.
- It contains a single species, Cryodrakon boreas, recovered from the Dinosaur Park Formation (in Alberta, Canada).
- With a wingspan of over 10 metres, it is believed to have flown over the heads of dinosaurs.
- The study by researchers from the Queen Mary University of London has concluded that the remains belong to a new species, which is also the first pterosaur to be discovered in Canada.