Scientists Just Found One of the Earliest Flying Reptiles in North America

A fascinating fossil discovery in Arizona’s Petrified Forest National Park has unearthed the oldest Pterosaur fossil yet found in North America. The fossil is over 209 million years old and from the Triassic period, and gives us new insight into the early stages of the evolution of flying reptiles. It was discovered by a team of researchers led by the Smithsonian Institution in the United States, and has been named Eotephradactylus mcintireae, meaning “Ash-Winged Dawn Goddess.” The species was named after Suzanne McIntire for her contribution to the discovery.

This early pterosaur most likely fed on armored fish, as suggested by researchers. These were common in freshwater environments at the time. The teeth appear specialized for gripping and crushing tough scales, which suggests the animal hunted aquatic prey rather than insects or small terrestrial animals. The fossil was preserved in volcanic ash, which protects delicate bone structures for millions of years and also provides a reliable geological context for determining the fossil’s age. Scientists were now able to look into fine anatomical details that are often lost in older fossils, thanks to this rare discovery.


The discovery helps fill a 12-million-year gap in the pterosaur fossil record, which makes it one of its most important aspects. Scientists had very little evidence that showed how early pterosaurs spread and diversified during the Triassic period before this find. Previously, many researchers thought that early pterosaurs lived mostly in coastal or marine environments. However, the new fossil was discovered in inland deposits, which challenges long-held assumptions about early pterosaur habitats and might tell us that these early flying reptiles also thrived in freshwater ecosystems far from the ocean.

The fossil site was not just about one species. Digging up the fossils revealed bones of at least 15 different species, including fish, amphibians, early reptiles, turtles, and the ancestors of modern tuataras. This gives us an image of an ecosystem that was thriving just before the end of the Triassic period. This was an important period in Earth's history, and learning about the discovery of Eotephradactylus mcintireae gives us new insight into how the ancestors of modern vertebrates adapted and evolved as powered flight was about to take off. The discovery gives us an idea of how much more is yet to be discovered on our planet.