In the heart of Queensland, palaeontologists have found the fossilised partial skeleton of a new pterosaur species capable of flying across continents.
The pterosaur, with a four-metre wingspan, may have lived about 90m years ago.
It was found in ironstone near the outback town of Winton and named Ferrodraco lentoni – or “Butch’s Iron Dragon” – in honour of the pioneering former mayor of Winton, Graham “Butch” Lenton, who died in 2017.
The fossil was discovered by a local grazier in 2017. It is the most complete pterosaur specimen found in Australia; including parts of the skull and five vertebrae and wing elements.
“It would have been a sight to see,” said Adele Pentland from Swinburne University, the lead author of a study published in the journal Scientific Reports. “It has a wingspan of about four metres, which is pretty big compared to our modern-day birds.
“Even though we didn’t find the entire skull, we found most of the skull and we also found 40 teeth and two fragments at the site. To see it walking around on the ground it would have walked on four legs and looked really different to any kind of animal we have today.
“It’s kind of scary when you think their heads are disproportionately large, it would have had a skull maybe 60cm.”
Pentland said elements of the find had surprised researchers. Based on unique crests on its upper and lower jaw, researchers identified it as genetically close to a previous find in England.
“We found out that this pterosaur is more closely related to material which has been found in England [and] that was a bit of a surprise. We are seeing that pattern because they could disperse across the ocean pretty easily.”
The fossil’s small front teeth and other “unique dental characteristics” distinguish it as a distinct species. It is one of the latest-surviving members of the Anhanguera group.
The decision to name the species after Lenton honours him as an advocate for outback Queensland and its tourism opportunities, including Winton’s Age of Dinosaurs museum, renewable energy and cultural programs in the bush.