Skiphosoura bavarica lived toward the end of the Jurassic Period and would have been one of the largest flyers in its ecosystem.

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).

The pterosaurs that flew across prehistoric skies while dinosaurs walked the Earth came in all shapes and sizes. Some, like Cryodrakon boreas, boasted an enormous 32-feet wingspan, while other earlier pterosaurs had a more dainty 6.

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.