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Quetzalcoatlus largest known flying animal to have ever lived on Earth, says study

WION Web Team
LondonUpdated: Dec 12, 2021, 12:53 PM IST
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The pterosaur Quetzalcoatlus is largest known flying animal to have ever lived on the planet (representative image).   Photograph:(Twitter)

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If new research is to be believed, the pterosaur Quetzalcoatlus was the largest known flying animal to have ever lived on Earth. The animal boasted a 12-metre wingspan, which helped it to fly. The research showed that the bones of the extinct reptile assisted the ancient creature in taking a 2.4-metre leap in the air to fly

If new research is to be believed, the pterosaur Quetzalcoatlus was the largest known flying animal to have ever lived on Earth.  

The animal boasted a 12-metre wingspan, which helped it to fly, as per a research collection published by the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology on Wednesday.  

The new research showed that the bones of the extinct reptile assisted the ancient creature in taking a 2.4-metre leap in the air to fly.  

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Matthew Brown, who is coauthor and director of vertebrate paleontology collections at The University of Texas in Austin, said that for decades, scientists were puzzled how such a big creature could fly.  

Brown's team found that the creature took flight like a fighter jet off an aircraft carrier after years of research. It could punch 2.4 metres off the ground before flapping huge wings.  

The time difference between discovery of the bones of the creature at Big Bend National Park in Brewster County, Texas and understanding how the creature flew is nearly 50 years.  

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Brown said the delay happened due to the slow process of unearthing the bones. "You have these sort of potato chip-like bones preserved in very hard rock, and you've got to remove the bones from the rock without destroying them," Brown added.  

(With inputs from agencies)