An exceptionally preserved fossil fills in an enormous gap in the evolution of pterosaurs, the largest animals capable of flight. Of all the major reptile orders of the age of dinosaurs, pterosaurs may be the least understood.

The pterosaurs are extinct flying reptiles that lived alongside their close relatives, the dinosaurs. The largest of these reached 10 m in wingspan, but early forms were generally limited to around 2 m.

Found in southern Germany, the fossil is notable for being nearly complete and preserved in three dimensions—a rarity in pterosaur remains.

By Stephen Beech via SWNS An "incredible" new fossil find has revealed the dramatic evolution of flying reptiles that lived alongside dinosaurs. The complete specimen discovered in Germany finally sho

In a quarry in southern Germany, encased in limestone, a nearly perfect fossil has been waiting patiently to rewrite the story of flight. The fossil, a pterosaur with a stiff, sword-like tail, is a new species described today in the journal Current Biology01377-0).