It flew across the sky, had opposable thumbs, and lived in Jurassic China: Meet “Monkeydactyl” – a recently discovered ancient dinosaur.
The bizarre Kunpengopterus antipollicatus, aptly nicknamed Monkeydactyl, lived in a forest ecosystem 160 million years ago, an international team of researchers said in a report published Monday in the journal Current Biology. Antipollicatus means “opposite finger” in ancient Greek.
Pterosaurs were the first known vertebrates to fly, the researchers said. species of pterosaur trees it marks the oldest of its kind with opposable thumbs, a phenomenon that has never been seen in the species before.
The discovery also marks the oldest known record of a true opposite thumb in Earth’s history.
Scientists found the Monkeydactyl fossil in the Tiaojishan Formation in Liaoning, China, in September 2019. Using micro-CT scans to enlarge the anatomical features, they found the small preserved fossil in both hands, which had a “pollex” or opposite thumb on each. .
Chuang Zhao
“Monkeydactyl’s fingers are tiny and partly embedded in the slab. Thanks to the micro-CT scan, we were able to see through rocks, create digital models and say how the opposite thumb articulates with the other bones of the fingers, ”co-author Fion Waisum Ma said in a statement. “This is an interesting finding. It provides the oldest evidence of an opposite thumb and is from a pterosaur – which was not known to have an opposite thumb.”
An opposite thumb is extremely rare among reptiles – they are common in humans and other mammals.
Researchers say that Monkeydactly, a type of darwinopter, named after Charles Darwin, used the thumb to climb and grab, an adaptation to live in trees. In addition to the thumbs, the researchers determined the animal to be very small, with a wingspan of about 33 inches.
It managed to avoid the greatest competition in its complex forest habitat, which had closely related species that adapted to different niches.
“Darwinoptera are a group of pterosaurs from the Jurassic of China and Europe, named after Darwin because of their unique transitional anatomy, which revealed how evolution has affected the anatomy of pterosaurs over time,” said co-author Rodrigo V. Pêgas . “In addition, a certain Darwinopteran fossil has been preserved with two associated eggs, revealing clues to pterosaur reproduction. They have always been considered precious fossils for these reasons, and it’s impressive that new Darwinopteran species continue to amaze us!”