Police Raid on Fossil Traders Found an Amazing Prehistoric Flying Reptile Skeleton

CNET reports:
A fossil discovered during a police raid in Brazil has turned out to be one of the best-preserved flying reptiles found yet, researchers say.

The remains belong to a tapejarid, a toothless pterosaur from the early Cretaceous period known for its huge cranial crest composed partly of bone and partly of soft tissue. Skulls and partial skeletons of Brazilian tapejarids have turned up before, but this fossil was found with more than 90% of its skeleton intact, along with some soft tissue in place around the bones.

'This fossil is special because it is the most complete pterosaur from Brazil and it brings new information about the anatomy and ecology of this animal,' says Victor Beccari, co-author of a study on the find published Wednesday in the open-access journal PLOS One.

Brazilian federal police found the tapejarid fossil while investigating an illegal fossil trade operation in 2013. They recovered 3,000 specimens kept in storage units in the states of São Paulo, Minas Gerais and Rio de Janeiro and transferred them to the Geosciences Institute of the University of São Paulo for study. Since 1942, Brazilian law has categorized fossils as state property, as they're considered part of the country's geological heritage and forbidden from being sold commercially.

The tapejarid had a wingspan of more than 8 feet (2.5 meters) and stood 3.2 feet (1 meter) tall. Its head crest accounted for 40% of its height.

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