Experts from the University of Portsmouth have discovered a new species of pterosaur with specialized teeth that often resemble hair combs. The results of the study are described in the journal Paläontologische Zeitschrift (PalZ).
The fossil itself was accidentally found in a German limestone quarry during the excavation of a block of crocodile bone. Well-preserved specimen (scientists believe that this was due to the fact that the dinosaur fell into sedimentary rocks immediately after death) made it possible to carefully study the anatomy of the dinosaur. The pterosaur was named Balaenognathus maeuseri and belongs to the family Ctenochasmatidae.
The curved, long jaws of this ancient animal that eventually widened contained 400 rows of thin, hooked teeth arranged in mirror image. Paleontologists had never seen such a structure in pterosaurs before. It is believed that the dinosaur ate tiny shrimp and allowed its unique teeth to squeeze prey between them. Its feeding mechanism was similar to that used by ducks and flamingos today: it filled its beak with water and filtered it with its teeth.
Source: Port Altele
