New fossils, which have unlocked details about a long-necked creature which has been compared to a Chinese dragon, have been revealed for the first time.
The Dinocephalosaurus orientalis fossils were found in Guizhou province, in southern China, was well adapted to an oceanic lifestyle, palaeontologists said.
With 32 separate neck vertebrae, it had an extraordinarily long neck and limbs with flippers – it even was discovered with well-preserved fish in its stomach.
The animal was identified in 2003 but the discovery of a more complete specimen has allowed a team of palaeontologists to depict what the reptile would look like.
READ NEXT: Bioscience company is working to bring back the woolly mammoth and dodo from extinction
Researchers say it also draws comparisons with another strange marine reptile, Tanystropheus hydroides, from the Middle Triassic of both China and Europe.
Both creatures were similar in size and had several features in common, including the skull that had a fish trap. However, the new discovery is unique, as it had more vertebrae in both the torso and neck, appearing like a snake.
Although similar superficially to the famous long-necked plesiosaurs, which only evolved 40 million years later and inspired the myth of the Loch Ness Monster, the two are not related, researchers say.
Dr Nick Fraser, Keeper of Natural Sciences at National Museums Scotland said: “This discovery allows us to see this remarkable long-necked animal in full for the very first time. It is yet one more example of the weird and wonderful world of the Triassic that continues to baffle palaeontologists.
“We are certain that it will capture imaginations across the globe due to its striking appearance, reminiscent of the long and snake-like, mythical Chinese Dragon.”
READ NEXT: Glowing cosmic cloud appears as giant exoplanets collide sparking 500-day eclipse
Professor Li Chun from the Institute of Vertebrate Palaeontology and Palaeoanthropology said: “This has been an international effort. Working together with colleagues from the United States of America, the United Kingdom and Europe, we used newly discovered specimens housed at the Chinese Academy of Sciences to build on our existing knowledge of this animal.
“Among all of the extraordinary finds we have made in the Triassic of Guizhou Province, Dinocephalosaurus probably stands out as the most remarkable.”
Dr Stephan Spiekman, a postdoctoral researcher based at the Stuttgart State Museum of Natural History, said: “As an early-career researcher, it has been an incredible experience to contribute to these significant findings.
“We hope that our future research will help us understand more about the evolution of this group of animals, and particularly how the elongate neck functioned.”
The fossil has been studied over the past 10 years by palaeontologists from Scotland, Germany, America and China at the Institute of Vertebrate Palaeontology and Palaeanthropology, Beijing as part of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
The study was published in the academic journal Earth and Environmental Science: Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh.
READ NEXT: Saturn’s ocean moon Titan may not be the answer we’ve been looking for
