Fossil of 'Chinese dragon' that lived 240 million years ago found

The marine reptile known as the Chinese dragon has a 2.3m long neck with 32 cervical vertebrae, helping it ambush prey underwater.

Scientists have revealed impressive fossils of an ancient marine reptile discovered in China, Live Science reported on February 23. The animal lived 240 million years ago and is known as the "Chinese dragon" (scientific name Dinocephalosaurus orientalis) . It used its exceptionally long neck to ambush prey in shallow waters during the Triassic period (252 million to 201 million years ago).

Dinocephalosaurus orientalis fossil with long neck. (Photo: National Museums Scotland).

The Chinese dragon was first discovered in limestone quarries in southern China in 2003, but scientists were unsure of its shape because the fossils were incomplete. Now, new fossils have been found and pieced together to fully reconstruct the ancient carnivore's 5-meter-long body. The new study is published in the journal Earth and Environmental Science: Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh.

'This is another example of the weird and wonderful world of the Triassic that continues to baffle palaeontologists. We are sure it will delight the world with its striking appearance, reminiscent of the mythical Chinese dragon – a long, snake-like creature, ' said Nick Fraser, curator of natural sciences at National Museums Scotland.

Illustration of a "Chinese dragon" swimming with some ancient fish. (Photo: Marlene Donelly).

The fossils reveal some of the highlights of the ancient marine reptile. Most impressive is its nearly 7-foot-long neck, which has 32 separate vertebrae, while giraffes (like humans) have just seven.

The Chinese dragon's multi-segmented, snake-like neck may have helped it to close in on prey and strike. Fossils of several fish have been preserved in the sea monster's stomach. It also had serrated teeth and flipper-like limbs. Despite its aquatic life and long, slender neck, the Chinese dragon is not closely related to the plesiosaurs, which evolved some 40 million years later and may have inspired the Loch Ness monster.

"We hope that future studies will help us understand more about the evolution of this group of animals, especially how the long neck worked," said team member Stephan Spiekman, a postdoctoral fellow at the Stuttgart State Museum of Natural History.