Do we finally have proof that dragons really existed?
A team of scientists working in Argentina have discovered the fossilised remains of a giant flying reptile “Dragon of death” with a wing span of nine metres, which is a shocking 30ft! Just to get that in perspective the average 13-year-old boy in the UK is 5ft!
"The dragon of death"
“This species had a height similar to that of a giraffe,” project leader Leonardo Ortiz said, with a wingspan that “defies the limits of our biological understanding.”
To reflect the incredible dimensions of the creature Professor Ortiz chose Thanatosdrakon amaru as the species’ name which combines the Greek words for death and dragon and amaru translates as ‘flying serpent.
“It seemed appropriate to name it that way,” Prof Ortiz said in an interview. “It’s the dragon of death.”
WHat else dont we know?
Preserved within the rocks of the Andes mountains for 86 million years and found in a pair, we can now be certain that this flying creature lived alongside the dinosaurs and likely lived in groups. While it is believed that this reptile would have spent most of its time on the ground, it is believed to be one of the first predators to use its wings to hunt prey. Long before the evolution of birds for whom fossil records suggest originated only 60 million years ago.
It makes you wonder what else we simply haven’t discovered yet!
not the stuff of fairytale
So, could dragons have existed? As yet science has found most classic dragon characteristics in other species, but we haven’t found them in one animal… yet.
The Dragon of Death demonstrates the necessary wing span was a reality, modern day alligator’s skin is made partly of bony plates which would act as a shield to the impact of bow-and-arrow attacks, and as for fire breathing, there are some beetles which can shoot caustic chemicals from their abdomens which can burn people’s skin!