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For the first time, scientists have found the remains of meals of ancient Jurassic aerial predators.
Illustration of the pterosaur Campylognathoides hunting squid. (Image Credit: Samuel Cooper).
New Delhi: Researchers have discovered exquisitely preserved remains of the last meals of pterosaurs for the first time. Pterosaurs were flying reptiles that were distinct from dinosaurs. The fossilized stomach contents have been discovered in two pterosaur species, Dorygnathus and Campylogathoides, both in specimens from Southwest Germany. The well-preserved remains have provided scientists with a window into better understanding the diet and feeding behaviour of the enormous reptiles that ruled the skies 182 million years ago. The research shows that Dorygnathus ate small fish, while Campylogathoides fed on squid. This is the first clear evidence of squid consumption in pterosaurs.
Reconstruction of a pterosaur in an Early Jurassic habitat in Southwest Germany. (Image Credit: SMNS, L/ Reinohl).
Both the fossils were found in the Posidonia Shale close to Holsmaden in Baden-Württemberg, a region that is on the southern border of Germany with France. This is the first time that evidence of two different diets, of two different pterosaur species has been discovered at the same time, in the same environment. The research provides scientists with valuable insights into the lifestyle, ecology and evolution of the pterosaurs. The two species of pterosaurs could coexist in the same ecological environment without competing because each had specialised diets. Finding such meals are rare because these animals digested their food rapidly.
‘Smoking Gun’ Evidence
A wide variety of fossil remains have been found in the Posidonia Shale, including pregnant ichthyosaurs with preserved embryos, long-necked plesiosaurs, marine crocodiles, and large fish, none of which are dinosaurs. A paper describing the findings has been published The Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. One of the study authors, Roy Smith says, “It is incredibly rare to find 180 million-year-old pterosaurs preserved with their stomach contents, and provides ‘smoking gun’ evidence for pterosaur diets. The discovery offers a unique and fascinating glimpse into how these ancient creatures lived, what they ate, and the ecosystems they thrived in millions of years ago.”
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