Fossil discovered the largest flying animal ever lived on Earth

Fossils of a newly discovered dinosaur with a wider wingspan than a bus in London are one of the largest flying animals ever on Earth.

The name of this dinosaur is Cryodrakon boreas , of the Azhdarchid group. This is a flying reptile with a wingspan of up to 10m. It lived during the Cretaceous period about 77 million years ago.

Image depicting newly discovered dinosaurs.

The remains of the Cryodrakon boreas were discovered 30 years ago in Alberta, Canada, but paleontologists believe they belong to a known species of Pterizard called Quetzalcoatlus .

However, a new study from Queen Mary University in London revealed that it was actually a new species and was the first dinosaur discovered in Canada.

Dr David Hone, lead author of the study, said : "We know this animal here but now we can show it is different from the other Azhdarchids, so it has a proper name that is easy to understand."

The main skeleton consists of a wing, legs, neck and ribs from a calf whose wingspan is about 5 meters long. However, a giant neck bone from another specimen shows that an adult will have a wingspan of about 10 meters.

This makes it the same size as other giant Azhdarchids, including the Quetzalcoatlus, which can reach 10.5m in wingspan and weigh about 250kg.

These predators and predators are mainly small animals that may include lizards, mammals and even baby dinosaurs.

"It is great that we can identify the difference of this new dinosaur because that means we have a better picture of the diversity and evolution of northern predatory species. America, " said Dr. Hone.

Unlike most Pterizard groups, Azhdarchid is considered an adapted animal and lives in the domestic environment.

Despite its large size and distribution throughout North and South America, Asia, Africa and Europe, some Azhdarchids are known from many fragments of fossils left over. This makes it an important animal because it has very well preserved bones and includes many different sized individuals.

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