Life reconstruction of Haliskia peterseni. Image credit: Gabriel N. Ugueto.
SciNews has an article about the discovery of a large pterosaur in Australia. Haliskia peterseni had a wingspan of about 4.6 meters (15.1 feet). Thought to be a fearsome predator, it lived about 100 million years ago in central western Queensland. The specimen was described in a paper published in the journal Scientific Reports.
The fossilized remains of Haliskia peterseni were found by Kronosaurus Korner museum curator Kevin Petersen in November 2021 in the Toolebuc Formation of the Eromanga Basin.
“Haliskia peterseni is 22% complete, making it more than twice as complete as the only other known partial pterosaur skeleton found in Australia,” Pentland said.
“The specimen includes complete lower jaws, the tip of the upper jaw, 43 teeth, vertebrae, ribs, bones from both wings and part of a leg.”
“Also present are very thin and delicate throat bones, indicating a muscular tongue, which helped during feeding on fish and cephalopods.”
