Scientists have identified a new species of flying reptile in Arizona that lived more than 200 million years ago, making it the oldest known of its kind ever discovered in North America.
The fossil, a partial jawbone, was first found in 2011 in Petrified Forest National Park. Researchers at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History recently used advanced scanning tools to study the specimen, revealing it belonged to a previously unknown species of pterosaur.
The name honors volcanic ash that preserved the fossil
The newly named Eotephradactylus mcintireae means “ash-winged dawn goddess.” The name refers to the volcanic ash that helped preserve the fossil in what was once a riverbed. Details of the discovery appear in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
The discovery marks the earliest pterosaur in North America
At an estimated 209 million years old, the fossil now holds the distinction of being the oldest pterosaur found on the continent. These flying reptiles lived during the Triassic period, soaring through skies long before birds evolved.
Dr. Virginia Kligman, one of the lead researchers, said the age and condition of the fossil make it an extraordinary find. “The bones of Triassic pterosaurs are small, thin, and often hollow, so they get destroyed before they get fossilized,” Kligman said.
Ancient riverbeds preserved a snapshot of life
The fossil site, once a riverbed in the heart of the ancient supercontinent Pangaea, has preserved a detailed snapshot of life during a critical evolutionary period. Layers of sediment gradually buried and protected the remains of animals that lived alongside the newly identified pterosaur.
The jawbone is part of a broader collection of fossils unearthed at the same location. Bones, teeth, fish scales, and fossilized waste known as coprolites are among the finds.
According to researchers, these preserved materials offer a rare insight into an ancient ecosystem that supported both extinct and familiar creatures.
Toothwear points to a diet of armored fish
The pterosaur’s teeth also revealed clues about its diet. Kligman noted that the tooth tips showed signs of wear, which suggests the animal fed on hard-shelled prey. The most likely targets were early fish species, which were covered in thick, bony scales.
The site captures a moment of evolutionary change
The Arizona site captures a moment of evolutionary transition. Alongside the pterosaur, scientists found remains of large amphibians and armored relatives of crocodiles—species that eventually vanished. Other animals, such as frogs and turtles, represent lineages that survived.
“We see groups that thrived later living alongside older animals that [didn’t] make it past the Triassic,” Kligman said. “Fossil beds like these enable us to establish that all of these animals actually lived together.”