New fossil found in real life! (and in Virginia of all places)
Fans of the hit tv series Primeval can already name several species of gliding and flying animals of the pre-Cretaceous eras.
Well, now there's one more. Mecistotrachelos apeoros may not yet have its own episode, but we can put that down to it being such a new discovery. It is a gliding animal of the Triassic, but the only gliding animal with a long neck.
If Mecistotrachelos really is related to the famous long-necked Tanystropheus {featured famously on Dr. Darren Naish's blog}, then that might help explain the latter's mysterious long neck: it is a retained feature. Tanystropheus' neck has been mysterious in part because of its stiffness -- far less flexible than the swans one might imagine it to be similar to.
Could Tanystropheus and Mecistotrachelos have used their long necks as part of a courtship ritual to attract mates, or as part of a head-bobbing ritual to frighten off rivals? Entirely possible.
thoughts?
News article here: http://www.roanoke.com/news/roanoke/wb/wb/xp-120382
Dr. Naish's blog: http://scienceblogs.com/tetrapodzoology/2007/05/tet_zoo_picture_of_the_day_4.php#comments
Well, now there's one more. Mecistotrachelos apeoros may not yet have its own episode, but we can put that down to it being such a new discovery. It is a gliding animal of the Triassic, but the only gliding animal with a long neck.
If Mecistotrachelos really is related to the famous long-necked Tanystropheus {featured famously on Dr. Darren Naish's blog}, then that might help explain the latter's mysterious long neck: it is a retained feature. Tanystropheus' neck has been mysterious in part because of its stiffness -- far less flexible than the swans one might imagine it to be similar to.
Could Tanystropheus and Mecistotrachelos have used their long necks as part of a courtship ritual to attract mates, or as part of a head-bobbing ritual to frighten off rivals? Entirely possible.
thoughts?
News article here: http://www.roanoke.com/news/roanoke/wb/wb/xp-120382
Dr. Naish's blog: http://scienceblogs.com/tetrapodzoology/2007/05/tet_zoo_picture_of_the_day_4.php#comments