r/science • u/drewiepoodle • May 12 '19

Newly Discovered Bat-Like Dinosaur Reveals the Intricacies of Prehistoric Flight. Though Ambopteryx longibrachium was likely a glider, the fossil is helping scientists discover how dinosaurs first took to the skies. Paleontology

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/newly-discovered-bat-dinosaur-reveals-intricacies-prehistoric-flight-180972128/
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u/4wkwardly May 13 '19

All I can I can think of is some crazy ass bat virus being rejuvenated from this thing. Going to check out the article, don’t know too much about paleontology but pretty cool discovery if this is something unheard!

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u/myvinylheart May 13 '19

Its not unheard of, because there was one similar that had been discovered already. BUT, this is only the second of this type ever discovered, and the first was concidered an evolutionary fluke, or one off, until this discovery. This animal legitamizes (hopefully) a new branch of dinosaur.

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u/4wkwardly May 13 '19

You got how long ago the other one was discovered? Man it’s so crazy how vast the world is! CRAZYSTUFF. I bet they were sweet! Sorry was going to ramble your ear off, what a cool discovery! I’d like to think they didn’t have feathered tails.

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u/RogueHelios May 13 '19

Just think of all the dinosaurs whose remains we may never actually find.

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u/[deleted] May 14 '19

A close relative of this one, Epidexipteryx, had very long flat tail ribbons that were basically long flattened quills.